


Preservation

by Moophinz_isnt_here, TricksterMel



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Comedy, F/M, Human Names Used, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Omegaverse, almost the whole cast appears tbh, but there's actually not a lot of porn since author is asexual, i won't be doing anything graphic there either tho, mentions of mpreg (although that tends to come hand in hand with omegaverse), mostly giripan, switching POV, why did i think it was a good idea to tag that many ships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-03-13 10:43:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 65,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13568931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moophinz_isnt_here/pseuds/Moophinz_isnt_here, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TricksterMel/pseuds/TricksterMel
Summary: Honda Kiku had been an isolated omega for two decades ever since he escaped the clutches of his highly conservative and traditionalist family, choosing to instead spend all those years with his guardian and fellow omega, Yao, in the hidden sanctuary of a forest in Japan. Kiku lived a peaceful life away from all the hardships pressed onto him for his biology by society, until finally moving after Yao's sudden disappearance. His reemergence back into the world was doable when he began working for a small chapter of an international company known as Beautiful World at the age of 31, but fate wouldn't let him have it easy for so long. He's now on a permanent transfer to the American headquarters, four years later, where he's struggling with culture shock, old fashioned ideals, and a "colorful" array of coworkers who seem to want to only sabotage his plans of a life of solitude. Not to mention, somehow, a not-so-young omega like himself is suddenly attracting suitors.





	1. A Quick and Messy Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Truth be told, I'm only into omegaverse for the world building possibilities :'D Any smut written by me will be vague, very emotions based, or both. So, fair warning of that right off the bat.  
> Anyway, the idea for this story was thought up by one of my friends (egyptiansapphiredragons on Tumblr), and I dragged my other friend (Trickstermel) into it so we could all plot ideas together. *WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHERRRRR* I honestly heavily credit and thank them for everything.

_There's the sounds of branches and dead leaves being crushed by his bare feet; accompanied by his quick, ragged breaths. The small child- barely twelve- prays to the moon and stars above that the quickly thickening forest will hide him from those pursuing him. He doesn't dare turn around to face the many booming shouts behind him, spewing curses at him like the fire a dragon breathes at its enemies. His heart hammers rapidly in his chest. He can hear it in his ears, nearly drowning out their yelling. So afraid-- He's never been so afraid before--_

Kiku snapped awake at the feeling of a hand gently shaking his shoulder. A small, embarrassing yelp came out along with the sudden realization that he had been drooling in his sleep. It was incredibly abnormal to him that his body had found comfort to peacefully rest while his brain replayed a nightmare of an event. He would have also appreciated having no one see him in such a poor sleeping state. Kiku looked up at the flight attendant standing by his seat. She was giving him a sympathetic look as she handed him a few tissues.

"We'll be landing soon, sir."

After accepting them with a mumbled thank you, Kiku looked out the window over the landscape of unfamiliar territory. The place he'd be landing at soon was a city on the east coast of America, and the reason why was a permanent job transfer. While a few other omegas from his previous place of employment had been in awe of him getting such an opportunity, Kiku felt no buzz of excitement about the entire ordeal.

Admittedly, however, there was a blooming feeling of pride in his chest over the fact that he was being moved from Japan to America due to excelling in his work at the small Japanese branch of Beautiful World- an international company based around the idea of sharing cultures. He was heavily complimented for his work ethic, intelligence, and skills- even if there were the occasional complaints about him working far too much. Not only would this move be giving him a higher position, but he would also be working around those of a much higher dynamic than his own.  _Alphas_. Kiku involuntarily shivered at that. His former boss had made sure to warn him of this massive shift. That "minor" drawback wasn't the worst thing in the world at the end of the day. Another positive for him in this situation was that he would no longer feel like he was wasting away among other omegas. Now, he would be at a level that felt like it was truly testing him. In more ways than one. He hadn't always had the best track record with alphas.

On top of the issue of working with a group of people who seemed to be naturally haughty most of the time about their status, Kiku also had to deal with another huge problem that would stick to him in places outside of work. As the small omega was ushered off the plane, said problem quickly came to slap him across the face. Kiku swallowed in dread of all around him. Throughout his entire life, he had lived in some form of isolation; whether it be as a small child hidden from most of the world or a young adult hiding himself away in a forest home. He didn't start working for Beautiful World until the age of thirty-one. Now, he was a thirty-five year old omega who had spent the better part of four years avoiding as much human contact as possible. He prized his precious peace and quiet as though it were a gem carved from delicate glass made just for him, but here... here was too large and noisy.

Kiku scurried through security and baggage claim as everyone went about the hustle and bustle of their own lives. There were just too many people. The beginnings of pride he had felt earlier were quickly shut out by turbulent feelings of panic and increasing levels of anxiety, making him sick to his stomach. His senses were running on high with all the sounds, smells, and sights, and he didn't know if that was a part of his omega brain or actual personality. If his biology was to blame, it just felt like another thing to hate about the road he had been cursed to take in life.

He hadn't been paying any attention to his surroundings. Everything just passed by in a vague blur, but being outside felt like a chance to calm himself. Flipping between emotions so rapidly like this couldn't be healthy. Kiku steadied his breathing, looking forward to bringing his few possessions to a recently refurbished apartment close to the company. He focused his energy on more positive thinking, like the chance to have the rest of the day to himself. There would be very little work in order to get settled in. A few deep breaths later, and his ride to his new residency had finally arrived.

The ride to the apartment complex was half spent with Kiku continuing to calm himself down and being grateful for previously living in a village where there were no sky-high buildings made almost entirely of glass, seemingly for the purpose of blinding him. Once more, the sights of the city aren't truly absorbed by Kiku as thoughts of how far he'd made it danced through his mind afresh. Images of his family appeared; only for them to be swiftly shut out. It was enough that his sleeping mind decided he needed to revisit one awful thing from the past. He didn't need to open the gates to that hell right now.

"So, you're new here right?"

Kiku almost failed to hear the taxi driver speak to him. He was pulled from his thoughts instantly and for that he could nearly thank the driver. "Y-Yes."

The other man looked up at his passenger through the rear-view mirror and grinned in a way that caused the skin around the corner of his eyes to crinkle. "You're gonna come to love this city. Been here since I was born."

Kiku averted the need to roll his eyes at that. It was a bit of a cheesy thing to say and assume.

"You'll be living in a good neighborhood, too. I'm assuming you work at-"

"Beautiful World, yes." Kiku interrupted. There was absolutely nothing of interest for this man was there? Small talk could be a bit of a nuisance.

"I've heard a lot about that place. Supposedly a lot of weirdos work there." He replied with a light chuckle. "You can probably handle them."

Kiku opened his mouth to say something, looked awfully confused for a moment, and then leaned back into his seat with his mouth shut. Really, what was he supposed to say to such odd statements? feelings of uncertainty that hadn't died down began making themselves known again. He covered his face with both hands, letting out a breath he hadn't even known he was holding in. Sometimes, the idea of not thinking at all seemed so alluring. Just then, something akin to the words he had been waiting to hear were spoken when the car slowed down to a stop in front of a tall building just like all the other ones around it.   

"Home sweet home." The driver announced.

Kiku nodded to him, gave him his payment, and went to gather his belongings. He acted as though the weak feeling in his legs was merely from sitting for what felt like two eternities. Once the driver pulled off with a wave goodbye, Kiku felt it best to actually take in his new environment. He stood on the sidewalk, clutching the handle of his suitcase as he glanced around the neighborhood with slight interest. It was pretty quiet for the time being.

The building he would be residing in had two plots of grass in the front that were big enough to fit several colorful plants and four trees- two of them being oddly tall as they swirled towards the sky, and the other two were dotted with several reddish flowers. Omegas did have a thing for gardening, or so the generalized beliefs about them said. A path leading up to the stairs cutting through the garden was made of red bricks while the building itself was more pale in color. A balcony was on every floor but the first. Those too had their own collection of plants, leading Kiku to make some safe assumptions about the residents. Hidden in the darkness, he could even see the eyes of many stray cats watching him.

"Hey!"

Kiku jumped. He had barely been there for a few hours, and yet, here was the second person looking to make conversation with him. Maybe he should have just went inside right away. That's what he gets for a little bit of sightseeing.

"I'm talking to you, short guy!"

Did this person have no manners?! Kiku spun around to see a blonde woman leaning out of a window on the second floor in the building he would be living in. Er... At least he thought that was a woman. The voice wasn't too feminine, however.

When he failed to answer a second time, this mystery person puffed out their cheeks in a look that Kiku assumed was one of annoyance. “I hope you aren't always like this, or else working with you is gonna be really difficult!”

The omega heard a second voice coming (This time it was undoubtedly a male). “Leave him alone! You can't talk to someone you just met like that!”

While the two of them bickered over how to treat strangers, Kiku stood alone outside, feeling even more painfully confused. All he wanted was his alone time. Not whatever this was! Kiku removed his hat and covered his face with it while muttering several phrases in his first language. The headache he had predicted was also starting to rear its ugly head just to make things more difficult. _Please, don't tell me these are my new neighbors,_ Kiku begged to any higher power listening.

“I'm so sorry about his behavior!”

Kiku looked over the rim of his hat to see the owner of the second voice he had heard. Another man appeared. He also had shoulder-length hair, but brown with short bangs, and his face was one of concern. His voice was full of  sympathy and the hope that he would forgive this sudden outlandish behavior. Even though every nerve was screaming at him to just ignore them and tend to his own personal task, Kiku reluctantly nodded, placing his hat back on properly. The brunet gave him a small smile before the blond intervened.

"You should totally come up here already and stop standing around all day. We could show you around and properly introduce ourselves. After all, we're your new coworkers!" He shouted happily and ducked back inside.

The brunet followed and closed the window. Was this the land of unfortunate coincidences? How did they even-? What were they-? Who are they? Why were they-? Kiku's mind returned back to racing at a million miles a second. He deeply regretted not trying to escape before it could get like this. This was racing in the direction of everything he feared happening. How could his first day here already go so quickly downhill? Small whimpers escaped his barely parted mouth as he begrudgingly made his way upstairs and inside. On the very thin bright side of all this nonsense, he knew for sure that neither of them could be alphas.

The apartment lobby wasn't anything fancy, but it had a nice aesthetic with even more plants sitting in each large window. He glanced down at a welcome mat that had been oddly placed facing the wrong direction.  _Perhaps I should find that_ _charming_. The color theme was somewhere between soft and nonsensical with each window either having green or orange sheer curtains. The wallpaper was tan with images of white, blue, and green flowers coupled with the flooring being of dark zigzag patterned wood panels. The furniture was all pastel blue, and there were two mismatched coffee tables by each sofa. His eyes passed over a wall lined with various vending machines before finally settling on the front desk.

The small room was nearly empty and just as quiet outside, besides the humming of the machines and the tapping of a keyboard. At the very messy desk was an open, purple laptop covered in stickers with a woman sitting behind it. Upon finally realizing she wasn't alone, she leaned her head to the side and looked a bit caught off guard. Her face held a certain maturity to it yet still looked so young. Was she an omega too?

“Good afternoon.” Kiku bowed to her. “I'm taking up residency in a room here?”

The woman continued her deer caught in headlights face before suddenly rushing out of her seat so fast that it caused the chair to fall over and give Kiku his second good scare of the day. Possibly third.

“Ah! My apologies! I-I'm the owner of this building, Anna Braginski.” She reached out her hand for a messy handshake. “And you?”

Kiku pulled his hand back and let it awkwardly fall to his side. “Honda Kiku. I should have introduced myself first.”

“It's no problem! Really, it’s all me.” She disappeared under her desk, shuffling through papers and what Kiku assumed to be keys. “Some of your paperwork and payment has been tended to by a Mr. Hideki and Mr. Jones, respectively.”

Mr. Hideki- of course- and oh, his new boss that he hasn't even met face to face yet. Kiku idly wondered if it was really okay for him to do such an act while Anna continued digging around, signing before she bumped her head on the edge of the desk. She whimpered in pain and rubbed the top of her head. At least he wasn't the only one having a bad day.

“I'm so sorry about all of this!” The woman slid a couple of papers to him and gestured to a pen. “Once this is complete, I can hand you your keys, and you can move in.”

A hint of a smile ghosted across his lips until he remembered that he had to introduce himself to the strange people claiming to be his new workmates. It only took a few signatures, statement readings, and going over basic rules to get the blessed key. Kiku just had one question. Maybe it was rude to ask it out loud, but he needed to know.

“How did an omega come to own this?” Kiku almost whispered.

She tilted her head to the side like a confused puppy. “Omega? People get that wrong all the time...”

Here came the embarrassment. “Ah! I didn't mean to-!”

Anna waved her hands in front of her and laughed nervously. “Really, it's an honest mistake! I'm really just a plain old beta.”

Kiku silently prayed that he didn't sound like an alpha belittling someone of a lower dynamic. He pressed his lips together and bowed once more, taking his leave to escape from doing anything else potentially awful. He made his way to the second floor and had only stepped one foot onto the pale gray carpeting of the corridor when a familiar voice called out to him. There was no time to react to the sudden invasion of his personal space by the mysterious blond who spoke too loudly for his own liking.

“So, you're the new guy. Kiku.” He said in a matter of fact tone that had Kiku biting back a snarky remark.

The brunet watched the exchange a few doors down from the stairwell, sipping coffee and clearly waiting for any moment in which he would have to chastise his friend again.

"Yes, that would be me." Kiku muttered.

Somewhat lazy looking green eyes lit up with a hard to define sparkle. “You haven't even started work yet, and you're already a big buzz around the office! I gotta tell you all about it! Oh, by the way, my name is Feliks, and this is Toris.”

Toris gave a tiny smile and raised his mug in a silent gesture of hello as Feliks practically dragged Kiku into the apartment. His smile turned into a look of worry for how petrified Kiku already was thanks to Feliks' antics. This was no way to welcome a newcomer. He gently closed the door to save their neighbors from anymore of his loud gossip.

Kiku's mind was swimming once again. In any normal occasion, he would have removed his shoes at the door, but taking a quick peek down, it seemed that wearing shoes indoors was no problem for them. it didn't feel right. Kiku may have not been a social person, but he had basic manners.

“He isn't always...” Toris moved his hand in a circular motion at Feliks who was sitting on the couch adjacent from their guest (or maybe hostage was the right word), “this bad.”

The attempt to reassure him was futile, but Kiku nodded at Toris anyway. “Um, we'll be working together?”

“That's right! Really, let's be honest here and say that you're lucky for getting to talk to us the day before work.” Feliks smiled proudly. “You won't look like a fish out of water on your first day if we explain everything to you.”

Toris raised his eyebrows as he took another sip of his coffee. Kiku internally admitted that his new coworker had raised a good point. Settling into the matters of business, Kiku attempted to look more comfortable. “Go on, please.”

“Ahhh~ Now you're interested in what I have to say.” Feliks cleared his throat as though he were about to make some grand announcement. “First thing's first, the day Alfred agreed to take you in and, like, work with the other alphas on the top floor, word got around _real_ fast.”

“Of course, you only knew so quick because you kept pestering me for _the inside scoop_.” Toris set his mug down in order to do air quotes on the last three words.

Feliks stuck his tongue out and shushed him. “Toris is Alfred's secretary. Anyway, like I was saying, omegas and betas make up most of the company, but pft, we don't really do big business work like the alphas do. Not that I would want to anyway."

Alright, so they definitely weren't alphas. Mr. Jones' business was no different from the one Kiku had left behind- except one of these bosses was more willing to allow an air of change. If even just a tiny one. The only other thing that felt so different was that it seemed there was an imbalance between the dynamics.

Depending on what region of the world one was in, omegas were either heavily or lightly expected to live up to their biology. It could be particularly soul crushing and even traumatizing if one wasn't lucky. Due to ill-thought ideas about how omegas worked, they would often be forced to work lower positions in fields viewed as suitable for them. At his previous workplace, there was an alpha keeping watch over a certain group of omegas and each alpha would have a beta assistant. One alpha for every five to ten omegas. Kiku had rarely even seen whoever was in charge of him. It's probably a good thing he hadn't, or else he would have had a few bitter words on his tongue for the man.

Kiku realized he was staring at a random spot on the cream colored wall behind Feliks and returned to giving him his attention. The- possibly a- beta was going on in more detail about the situation he'll be looking forward to when he gets to work.

“No one would even dare dream of making it that high around there. You're,” Feliks tapped his chin lightly, looking for the right word, “ _doomed_ to spend your time at BW constrained by one set position.”

Kiku swallowed nervously, causing Toris to speak up. “Not entirely true. I became Mr. Jones' secretary after going through some lower ranks.”

Feliks looked like he didn't believe him for a second, and Kiku wondered where their friendship even was. “So, like, you must be pretty damn smart for Alfred of all people to want you. I mean, I guess he isn't that bad but still. We aren't entirely old fashioned either but...” There was an annoyed sigh. “Not to sound like I'm putting a lot of pressure on you or anything, but you're practically making history here!”

“No pressure felt.” Kiku responded in a low voice.

“Good! What did you even do at the last place that was so amazing?” Feliks propped his face in his hands with his elbows resting on his knees.

Toris groaned. Kiku ignored the reaction and opted to be humble about his achievements. “It was nothing special. My former boss may have finally taken notice of my abilities when I was assigned to help others.”

A look of mild disappointment graced his features. It was clear Feliks was hoping for a more juicy and interesting answer. Toris added his thoughts on the matter of the vague reply. “Regardless of what you've done or haven't done, you've clearly deserved this spot. Mr. Jones was having a bit of difficulty at first but was more than excited to accept you in place of the former alpha who had the position you'll be getting.”

He hadn't known anything about a previous alpha. “Excuse me?”

Toris eventually caught on to what the simple question was asking. “Oh! You don't know anything about the last guy, do you?”   

Feliks placed his arms in an X formation as a cue to get Toris to stop. “Don't even worry about that loser! What's more important is that he's gone now, and we'll have you! You don't seem like a bad person, yet. Just way too quiet.”

Kiku flinched at that. How could someone have no problem stating what was exactly on their mind so loudly? And what was the reason for the rushing away from the chance to talk about the unknown alpha? He felt like he was being left with more question than answers when it came to these people. They had only known each for less than an hour. The thrumming pain in his head raised in intensity.

Before Feliks could continue rambling on in a way that left Kiku feeling helpless, a shrill ring scared them all. Feliks cursed in a language that Kiku wasn't familiar enough with to even name and pulled a cell phone out of his jacket pocket. “Speak of the devil! Alfred is calling you, Toris.” He glanced at the time. “And crap! I have to go back home before it gets too late.”

He tossed the device over to the brunet who quietly asked how he even managed to get his cell phone in the first place.

Seeing the opportunity to make his getaway, Kiku stood up. “It’s a shame we weren't given time to know each other better before my first day, but I really need to go to my room.”

Feliks stood up as well and placed his hands on his hips. “Don't worry about it! Toris lives here and you can, like, come over whenever you want and even carpool with him.”

Kiku gave him a faltering smile out of kindness. “Eh... I don't want to be a burden." Was he inviting someone over to his friend's house without Toris' permission?

Feliks made a slightly exaggerated pouty expression. “Aww, too bad, but don't worry about tomorrow either. I'll get Feliciano to give you a tour of the place right when you walk in to save any dumb confusion.”

On one hand, Feliks was being pretty kind, but on the other hand, he really didn't need to do all of this for him. There was really no chance of getting him to turn down this offer too. Whoever this Feliciano was, he could only hope his tour guide wasn't as bad as Feliks. “Thank you.” Kiku bowed.

“No problem. Plus, maybe you'll, like, make friends. He's pretty good at that sort of thing.” Feliks gave one last look at Toris who was still on the phone and gave him a surprise goodbye hug.

Kiku went to grab his suitcase as slowly as possible to avoid having to leave at the same time as the hyperactive blond. When the coast was deemed clear, Kiku began making his way towards the door. It would be rude to not say anything to the man who's apartment he had been pulled into, but Kiku also didn't want to interrupt him. The issue cleared itself up when Toris placed his phone against his shoulder and quietly said his goodbyes to Kiku. They would definitely be seeing more of each other at work and even at home. He supposed it was easier to feel glad about that since Toris appeared to be more of Kiku's type of person.

The elevator was luckily located near Toris' apartment, and in a short time, Kiku was on the fifth floor. His pace picked up as he made his way to the last door on the right side of the hall. Nothing would stop him from getting his much needed recharge time, now. Kiku unlocked the only barrier keeping him from his new personal space, and threw the door open with a little bit more force than intended. He was greeted by the sight of his living room, bathed in earthy tones. It was certainly a calming sight. Kiku softly closed the door behind him and slipped out of his shoes. He left his suitcase by the door to do some quick exploring of the place he would be calling home for who knows how long. Kiku observed his kitchen full of up to date appliances, absentmindedly running a hand along the smooth tiles of the kitchen island, stopping just short of the table.  _Home_.

That was a heavy word for him. Yet at the same time, it contained no real meaning to him. He had been in various places over his life that were by textbook definition, a home, but only one he felt connected to. Would this be a second one? The room almost started spinning around him as he realized this would be the place he'd be coming back to every day. _Home sweet home_ , the driver's words repeated in his head. It was a bit scary to have this settle in on him when standing alone in his kitchen. Kiku raised a hand to his left temple and went back to his bag to retrieve headache medication.

The sun had gone down by the time Kiku was done getting situated with his new living quarters. Or at least mostly done. His belongings had been put away in their proper places, and he had become familiar with the locations of necessities around the apartment. There was a bit of trouble learning how to turn on the shower, but that was done, too- at the expense of soaking him in freezing water. At the moment, Kiku was sitting on a lawn chair on his balcony, looking out at the city streets below him with a bored expression. Nothing of interest was happening and even then, Kiku wasn't too sure he would actually care. Then, a meow caught his attention. Kiku looked over his shoulder to see an orange tabby on the railing.

“How did you get up here, little one?”

The feline slowly approached him and sat down at his feet, looking at him with curious green eyes. It leaned forward to sniff at his pant leg while still eyeing his face. Kiku adored cats. Their personalities were something he could relate to in a way, and not to mention, they were pretty cute. Kiku watched his unexpected guest and decided to make conversation. It was much easier to talk to an animal rather than a human.

“I'll be staying here from now on. I saw your other friends greet me when I arrived.” If that's what one could call the calculating stares he received from the shaded balconies and bushes. The cat slowly blinked at him. “Will I be seeing you around more often?”

The cat meowed again before suddenly leaping away. Kiku could hardly follow its path in the low amount of light but continued staring in its direction anyway, even after it was long gone. He took one last look out at the nightlife scenery and rose up. “I'll be going back as well.”

Sleep wasn't coming as easily as it should have to him. _Maybe because you fell asleep on the plane, fool_ , Kiku mentally slapped himself. The omega possibly would have had an easier time falling asleep outside due to a sudden surge of boredom. Being back inside his scentless space just reminded him of everything he was thinking throughout the day. He stared at the bookcase across from him and slipped lower into his recliner. To escape from his inner turmoil before it could have a chance to worsen, Kiku reached over to the wooden coffee table to pull up a folded stack of papers, believing that rereading the apartment overview would be enough to put him to sleep.

In the middle of a page about the rooms being scent proof and alphas staying in a separate building, Kiku's mind wandered back to his old job. It kick-started memories of how the building wasn't scent proof, and the smell of omegas was strong. Alphas took no issue with leaving their smells around as well. It was occasionally bad enough to make his nose burn. Luckily, omegas were never present at work during heats. Even more lucky, was that their heat cycles never really matched up so it wouldn't leave half the room gone. Speaking personally, Kiku didn't really have to worry about heats like he used to. His older age reduced any pain or other discomforts... or _needs_. Kiku coughed loudly in his living room with the need to remove the disgusting taste the words had caused in the back of his throat. Yeah, he was done with that.

His mind continued to stay adrift on randomly connected thoughts until he fell asleep with his head resting against one of his shoulders; his body slouched in an uncomfortable position. The last thoughts on his mind were of how to mask his scent if that became necessary and places to hide a sword. Oddly, they were much more pleasant topics in the last minutes of restlessness than any of his other worries.                    


	2. First Meetings

The alarm blared obnoxiously. Kiku who was buried under a heap of blankets, slowly poked his head out and carefully opened his eyes; no matter how badly he didn't want to. The morning sun was too bright, and the alarm clock was too loud. All he wanted was more rest. Kiku groaned, reaching over to his nightstand to turn off the offending device and possibly debated throwing it out the window.  Perhaps he would be less drowsy and more ready if he hadn't woken up at three in the morning to the discovery of being asleep in the living room earlier. Kiku pushed the blankets off of his small frame and stumbled out of bed, rubbing his eyes. There was still a painful crick in his neck from last night's accidental sleeping arrangement.  

It was also clear to him that so much troubled thinking had also played a hand in making him feel exhausted. As Kiku dragged himself into the bathroom, he was thankful for his sleepy mind not being able to draw back on any of his worries at the moment. A nice reprieve from that mess and a bath would be extremely useful for his first day.

Although, he did nearly panic when remembering there was absolutely no food in his apartment, and he hadn't eaten since he was on the plane. It seemed a trip to the store was in order...

Kiku stood in front of his full body mirror after completing his morning routine, settling his tie into the right position. New troubles had wormed their way into his now fully-awake mind. He stared at his reflection and took in the sight of his new suit- one that he had specifically bought for this occasion. He had very rarely dressed in such a manner thanks to his previous place of employment encouraging omegas to wear clothes “suitable” for them. Dressing in such a formal fashion was reserved for the alphas and betas. A slightly shaking hand smoothed down one of the dark blue lapels. There was no reason to be so nervous about the way he dressed. Was there...?

Kiku shook his head, removing  that train of thought and found himself wondering about Toris as he made his way out. Surly, someone with the task of being the boss's secretary would already be at work. Kiku made his way past a sleeping Anna, snoring loudly at her desk. Out of kindness, Kiku lightly nudged her until she jerked her head up.  _ It's not good to fall asleep on the job _ . Anna waved at him, grinning awkwardly.  

Making his way towards the bus stop, his mind went through another gearshift. His taxi driver had told him that strange people worked at Beautiful World, he had met two odd people, and... What could possibly be waiting for him at the company? 

It was a bit too late to be freaking out over that, but Kiku couldn't stop himself. On top of that, he would most likely be the center of attention. His heart jumped at the mere thought of it. Kiku immediately boarded the bus and hastily took a seat at the far back, away from everyone. He exhaled softly and tried steeling himself up for whatever hell awaited him. Oh, how nice it would be to go back to bed and pretend none of this was happening.

He hadn't been paying attention to much anything outside. The bus made its stop, and Kiku stood on weak knees. If he was truly lucky, no one would even know his face. The only problem with that was Feliks was able to recognize him in a second. Kiku slowly stepped off and eyed the large complex in front of him. It was the most overwhelming thing already.

There were three different buildings of varying sizes, and Kiku safely assumed the main one was the biggest. Everything looked so sleek and modern, yet held strong touches of some sort of artistic architectural design that he didn't know the name of.  

He was certain every color of the rainbow was being put to use on any part of the buildings that wasn't glass. Several works of art dotted the grassy areas between each building. Kiku admitted to himself that it was a bit charming to see that each statue or fountain came from a different culture. In the center of it all was the largest fountain surrounded by intricately placed rainbow-colored bricks. A large globe was at the top with the name of the company engraved into a cement banner above it. Was all of this really necessary? 

After finally having had enough of staring at the gaudiness, Kiku marched straight inside. If he hadn't been so 

focused on getting inside, he would have noticed several people watching him with interest. The looks didn't stop when he got inside and stopped to stare at the interior. It wasn't nearly as gaudy, but just as visually loud with its own modern touches and several large cultural models hanging from the ceiling. It felt more like walking into a toy factory. The small Japanese branch hadn't been anything like this.

Someone speaking caught his attention. "Honestly, this is a mess-"

“You're telling me. Pretty sure you're responsible for it.”

“What?!”

“Did I stutter?”

Kiku turned to the voices coming from the large, half-circle front desk where he guessed the receptionist would be. He did his best to maintain a straight face as he walked up to the arguing pair.

“Look, man, I'm just sayin'-”

“Sod off with your blame game!”

“Hey! You're the one who's supposed to have records of anyone who comes to talk to you!”

“Excuse me-” Kiku went ignored.

“I always record someone's visit so shut your bloody mouth! Maybe _you_ should keep your own copy so _you_ can rub your greasy little fingers all over your own paperwork, instead of bothering me!”

They were lucky very few people were around. “E-Excuse me!”

Finally, the arguing pair ceased. When green and blue eyes met Kiku, their angered expressions melted into ones of embarrassment. The one sitting behind the desk with bushy eyebrows was the first to speak on their behalf. “Ah! Forgive us! I was just dealing with _his nonsense_.” He spoke through a clenched jaw.

His enthusiasm was mildly terrifying. Kiku listened as the other continued. This other man was-

“I'm your new boss! You can go ahead and refer to me as Mr. Jones of course.” He pushed his dark blue framed glasses up his nose.

The receptionist interjected. “Surprised you didn't want him to call you hero or god.”

“That's no way to act in front of my new employee, Arthur!” Alfred leaned over the desk to whisper loudly to Arthur before turning back to Kiku to give him a firm handshake. Kiku made a mental note of what physical strength was present in the simple gesture. “I'm more than thrilled that you'll be working for me and starting immediately! Of course, after you get settled in. I'll have someone come by and explain how things work here. Plus, Feliciano will be here soon to give you a tour."

Kiku realized he had been a bit more quiet than normal and hurriedly bowed, receiving a small look of surprise from the action. The American opened his mouth to comment on the action, but Kiku spoke first. “Thank you very much, Mr. Jones. I promise to do my best for you and the company. Your acceptance of me won't be a mistake."

That seemed to be very pleasing for him to hear, judging by the hint of a smirk on his face. “Great. I would give you the tour myself of course, but I'm a busy man.” Arthur grumbled something under his breath as he went to answer a phone call. Alfred ignored him. “Anyway, I'll have a more personal talk with you in my office way later. For now, I need to go do some work of my own.”

Alfred nodded to him and turned away- not before suddenly slamming his hand on Arthur's desk, successfully scaring the Brit. Arthur jumped and rolled his eyes at his boss' laughter echoing in the lobby. After a few more seconds, the phone call was finished and Arthur placed both of his hands over his face, covering an irritated look.

“I-Is he always like this?” Kiku asked in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

Arthur peeked at him through his fingers and let his hands fall into his lap. “Fortunately, no. Unfortunately, he does always act this way towards me. I trust you'll be in better hands.”

“Ah...” Kiku had no idea what to make of such an answer. “Um, he's quite-”

“Youthful? Childish? Yes. He's pretty young. Not much younger than me, but still.”

Kiku tried not to let on to the fact that he nearly wanted to run away from this _youthful_ behavior. If Mr. Jones being a bucket of pure energy wasn't unusual, then Kiku greatly feared for the rest of h is time there. The warning of their combined behavior was something he appreciated, however. Waiting for Feliciano to appear left him with some time to discuss more with Arthur. As his luck would have it, Arthur even wanted to speak with him.

“How did someone so young end up as the leader here?” Kiku pondered aloud.

Arthur leaned forward in his chair like an elderly woman ready to discuss gossip. “His dad was the previous boss. Alfred showcased amazing business talents, and when his dad decided to go into early retirement, he gave him the keys to the place. We don't have any rules saying you have to be of a certain age for the position, but I'm pretty sure you would need a lot more experience than what he has. Some people assumed he got in even easier because he's an alpha."

It was such a shock to hear an employee talk so openly about his employer in his own place of work. Arthur truly held no fear of those above him; that much was obvious. "Oh?"

“Alfred has been working in that position here for about four years. Don't ask me about all the inner-workings, though. I haven't pried into his personal life at all.” Arthur stated that in a way which gave Kiku the impression he was hiding something, but really, that was none of his business. “Enough about him. I really would like to know more about how you got accepted.”

There was a gleam in his emerald eyes. Kiku decided to be a bit more descriptive than he had been with Feliks. “Let's just say, I often branched out of my assigned place. My boss should have been displeased with me, but I...  helped him in some major ways.”

A definite smile was on Arthur's face, and Kiku almost believed it was one of admiration. “And Alfred was looking for a new guy. He was being awful picky at first.”

Kiku could feel the big question on the tip of his tongue. He barely got a syllable out before the sound of rushing footsteps came closer to them. Maybe, he would ask another time.

“Ugh!” There was a break mid-groan from  heavy panting. “I'm so sorry, Mr. Honda!” More panting. “Didn't mean to keep... you waiting!”

Arthur turned away to answer another call, and Kiku looked over his shoulder at a hunched over man with auburn hair. “It's fine. I wasn't waiting for too long.” 

The man stood up to his full height, getting out a few more pants and finally a relaxed sigh. “That's good! I'm Feliciano! I'll be showing you around!”

There was another handshake, but this one was clumsy just like the one with Anna. Kiku could tell that he would be as enthusiastic as Mr. Jones but to a potentially safer degree. If only because he wasn't quite as loud.  “Good morning, Feliciano. Should we get started right away?”

There was the faint sound of Arthur getting irritated on the phone, and then a shout followed. “Stop bothering me, frog face!” Arthur shouted into the phone.

Feliciano took a hold of Kiku's hand, pulling him away from what was possibly another sure verbal fight. As soon as they were on the other side of the room, Kiku wiggled his hand out of Feliciano's grip. They passed by a few elevators, but it was clear his tour guide had another destination in mind.

“So, Mr. Honda-”

“Please, just call me Kiku.” He reserved such a title for only certain people, and being called by it felt so alien. Maybe, even a little bit old.

“Okay! Kiku, I work in the art department, which is way different from where you'll be working. I'll show you your office at the end.” Kiku nodded at Feliciano. “Oh, you're an omega just like me, right?”

Kiku nodded again, only slower. He took a moment to examine his dressing style and noticed it to be similar to his own but much more casual. So, it wasn't abnormal to wear something so formal despite his dynamic. Also, wouldn't Feliciano have known the obvious answer to that?

“You're really small and cute like one!”

Kiku hid his face by turning it to the side. A heated blush was creeping it's way across his cheeks, and the tips of his ears. “D-Don't say things like that! It's not very polite!”

Honestly, the nerve of him! Kiku couldn't find the ability to get truly mad at such an innocent looking young man so easily. He pursed his lips and stared down at the floor. He had never received a compliment that sounded so pure either. Even if it was extremely unneeded. Kiku filed Feliciano mentally under 'just as weird as everyone else I've met so far.' The other man only giggled at his reaction.

“And you look so young, too!”

Kiku wanted to explode. “S-S-Stop with that!”

The redhead listened to him and switched conversation. “Arthur is an omega, too, but he can be really mean and scary.”

That was incredibly interesting to know. Kiku looked up at Feliciano who was walking backwards. Arthur came off as someone who could be a beta, or maybe even an alpha. It's been too long since he's encountered another omega who had such a brash attitude. Speaking of omegas, it would make sense for the person in front of him to be one as well. Now, that wouldn't be shocking.

As Feliciano prattled on about various people at the company, stopping by rooms and offices to introduce Kiku, he was repeatedly asked the same questions. Feliks wasn't lying about him being the center of attention. It was incredibly easy for someone like him to feel tired from so much social activity, and this wasn't doing him any favors. After a while, he started feeling like a robot reciting  the same answers. It was a miracle Feliciano never seemed to run out of things to say.

An hour in, they had only made it to the fourth floor. There were at least ten more floors and two other buildings left. Feliciano was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet while Kiku felt like he would pass out in seconds. Although, that was probably from a lack of food.

“If it's alright, may I ask that you don't introduce me to literally everyone?” Kiku inquired with a hint of hopefulness.

“Ah! You're right!”

Good. At the rate they were going, Kiku would have become well acquainted with every broom closet and emergency staircase.

“Francis!” Was the only thing Kiku heard before Feliciano darted off in the direction of another blond man standing in a large, open doorway.

He greeted them both with a smile that changed into some other sort of expression that Kiku couldn't exactly name when his near-violet eyes landed on him. Francis moved away from his spot and got closer to Kiku. It wasn't enough for him to feel uncomfortable, but he didn't like the look in his eyes. Francis pushed some of his curly, wavy locks behind one of his ears and grinned.

“You're our new one, huh?”

Kiku nodded silently.

“It's such a shame you won't be working with Feliciano and I.” His voice carried a faux hurt to it that sounded a breath away from being real. “I've caught wind of your intelligence and skills. It would have been so nice to have you under my wing.”

No, he was definitely feeling some sort of discomfort now. Kiku racked his brain for some sort of reply to that when the other omega jumped in. “Francis is the assistant manager of us artists and visual creators! He's a beta.”

Kiku noticed the smug look on his face. “Yes, and my manager is that man over there."

Francis moved to the side and pointed at a man sitting at one of the tables inside the room. Even though Kiku wasn't standing anywhere close to him, he could easily see that this man was quite muscular. He had short, unruly brown hair and wore his jacket as if it were a cape. He didn't notice the three talking about him and continued on with the unknown task before him. In Kiku's mind, this didn't look like anybody who would be interested in the arts, but then again, Arthur had turned out to be the exact opposite of what he had expected.

“His name is Heracles.” Francis's smug look had dissipated. “You've actually caught him at a time when he isn't sleeping or on the verge of taking a nap!” 

That got Heracles to look up. He went from making a sour face at Francis to staring wide-eyed at Kiku. The short lived eye contact held a certain intensity that caused Kiku to look away.

Feliciano spoke in a singsong tone. “He's an alpha~”

That only further cemented Kiku's surprise with Heracles. He took another look at the alpha to find him still looking directly back at him. He had never met an alpha who apparently had a genuine interest in something of this nature. Art had always been viewed as being below alphas- as far as he knew- and the last time an alpha had talked to him about art, it was an attempt to get in his pants. Kiku hadn't even spoken a word to him yet, and a part of him was hoping he wouldn't have to.

“Excuse me, Mr. Francis, but we really need to be on our way.” Kiku spoke up. He could still feel Heracles's eyes trained on him.

“Oh, of course." Francis directed his demands at Feliciano, causing him to flinch. "Don't forget you owe me two graphs and an explanation as to why you drew mustaches on some of my final products.”

With a shaky promise of coming back to work as soon as he was done with Kiku, Feliciano went about the rest of his tour. They made a stop at accounting where Kiku met a rather intimidating accountant named Vash. He was one of the several betas he'd met along the way. After that, they were stopped by another omega named Roderich who was in charge of their public relations. He was just as easy to like as the last guy. This company didn't stop with it's surprises, knowing an omega would be in charge of PR was something else that was bewildering to Kiku. Feliciano explained it away as Mr. Jones trying to use an omega's need for being social in an area where he believed it would fit best. Kiku had cocked his head to the side at hearing that.

When Kiku felt like he could be tested on the dynamic of every other one of his coworkers and pass with flying colors, along with the information of what was located where, him and Feliciano had made it to the top floor. He seemed hesitant at first but crossed the threshold with some ease. It was hard not to notice how differently designed this floor was compared to everything else. There weren't many bright colors, and everything looked a lot less artsy. There was a whisper from Feliciano about it being often referred to as the alpha floor since almost every alpha's office was located there. He was quick to claim that there had been nothing dangerous to ever happen, and Kiku wasn't too sure why he would say that until he realized where his own office would be.

“My previous boss said I would be working very closely with alphas, but I didn't think I would be working around so many of them.” Kiku could feel a tight ball of fear forming in the pit of his stomach.

Feliciano didn't hesitate to place his hands on his shoulders, squeezing them gently to try and calm him down, having easily picked up on his emotions. “It's fine! All the offices are scent-proof, and these guys are pretty tame!”

Kiku lifted Feliciano's hands off of him. He would have thought that when the Italian's attempt at hugging him at one point along the tour didn't go so well, Feliciano would have known to keep his hands to himself. “Which one is mine?”

He followed the other further down the wide hall to a door that was located right next to Mr. Jones's. “We've had everything well cleaned since the last guy was here, so you won't be smelling any of him.”

That reminded him. “Who _was_ the last guy?”

His reaction to the question wasn't a very pleasant one. Kiku caught a whiff of something in the air that smelled like fear. Feliciano had done so much talking, and now he was going quiet. “Um... That alpha was a scary guy. I only saw him a few times, b-b-but-”

Kiku decided it was best to draw an end to this. “You needn't continue.”

Feliciano chuckled nervously. “Hey, you should come meet my mate! He's your second boss.”

And a distraction it was. Kiku pulled at his necktie as he watched Feliciano practically rub himself all over his mate. He had led him to another office within the same hall and must've thought it would be no problem to let Kiku watch this incredibly affectionate display. Feliciano's mate was a large, tall man with slicked back blond hair and enough muscles to really drive the point of him being an alpha home. Kiku felt minuscule in his presence.

“Hello, I'm Honda Kiku.”

Ludwig- having learned his name from Feliciano happily muttering it into his alpha's pecs- took his hand in one of the too many handshakes he had that day. "Ludwig Beilschimdt."

His deep voice was just another addition to the alpha package. Still, there was definitely something to the fact Ludwig was allowing the affection to continue. He even began to turn red when Feliciano had no issue with bragging about his achievements. Ludwig certainly sounded like a serious worker that he could get along with in due time. He was even mated, so there shouldn't be any concerns in that field.

“Once I'm done here, I'll be on my way to your office to show you how to go about your new position. It's a lot different from what you've done before, but I trust you can handle it.”

Kiku's eyes widened a little. There were no condescending remarks about his status, and he had even put faith in him to complete his work well. Kiku bowed and thanked him. “As I've told Mr. Jones, I won't let the decision of this transfer be a wasted one.”

Ludwig grunted and nodded. It was amazing he could be so serious while his omega was practically sitting in his lap. Working for him was certainly going to be interesting with Feliciano around. He marked this alpha off as not being so bad, yet. After leaving his office when dismissed, he could hear Ludwig demanding Feliciano go back to do his own job. This would have never been okay under Mr. Hideki's leadership.

The sound of his office door closing was enough to bring him peace. He almost fell back against the door and slid to the floor, wanting to enjoy the break from everything. He had his own little world at work, and that felt incredibly special. He smiled a little as he looked around the office, which only contained the essentials and was mostly light shades of brown. Maybe one day he would come to personalize it, just like he planned to do with his apartment. Kiku walked over to his new desk and checked around its many compartments.

Somewhere in between the joy of having things to call his very own at the company (and no one he would be forced to share them with) and quietly recharging from how overwhelming everything had been so far, Kiku was interrupted by a knock on his door. He stood to answer it. He almost frowned at the person stopping him from having a well-deserved moment to himself until  he locked eyes with a pair of lazy looking green ones staring back down at him.

“I'm sorry to interrupt you.” It was Heracles. He gave an equally lazy looking smile.

Kiku felt a pain forming in his neck at having to crane his head up at the alpha. “Ah. Is there something I can help you with?”

“I'm sorry we didn't get to have a proper first introduction to each other as well.” Heracles went on from his previous sentence.

Kiku found himself in a calm trance. There was nothing rushed, loud, or intimidating about this man. He had his fair share of that for the day which was far from over. Kiku thought about how he didn't really want to talk to him at first and smashed those thoughts out. How can someone so gentle talking be an alpha? He then remembered the intense stare the alpha had given him and nearly asked about that.

“It's fine, really. You seemed pretty busy.” _Eyeing me like I was a piece of meat_.

“Hm.” Heracles handed over a thick stack of papers that Kiku didn't even notice he was holding. “These are the company guidelines and rules. Alfred will help you through them later.”

Kiku accepted them. “Um... thank you.”

The next thing out of Heracles's mouth earned him a gasp from Kiku. “Would you care to join me during the lunch hour?”

Kiku stammered, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “I don't know about that.”

“It's fine if you change your mind.” Heracles smiled again. “I tend to sit with the others from my department in the front yard near the center fountain.”

"U-umm-- I'll think about it.” Really, he was most likely just trying to make him more comfortable on his first day, but this was too straightforward.

Heracles gave him one last look and left. That couldn't have been any stranger.

_______________________________________________________________________

His lunch break came much quicker than he would have liked, pushing back his meetings with Mr. Beilschmidt and Mr. Jones. Kiku's stomach growled in anticipation, but Kiku was actually thinking of holding off eating even longer just so he could stay in his office. It only took a second, even louder growl to make him get up and hastily make his way towards a nearby cafe that Feliciano felt the need to point out to him. Apparently it was quite popular among the employees at Beautiful World.

He had never had any of the foods sold there, but that meant nothing at the moment as he blindly ordered anything that sounded good. Just as quickly as he arrived, he made his way back, stopping only a few feet away from the path leading up to the main building of BW. He needed to make his way around the back in hopes of not getting spotted by any of the familiar faces he saw in the exact meeting place Heracles said they would be. Perhaps it was impolite of him to be acting in such a way, but he didn't really owe anything to them.

_______________________________________________________________________

Kiku's meetings with his two bosses went in two completely different directions. Mr. Beilschmidt was just as neat and orderly as Kiku had pinned him to be, while Mr. Jones pretty much acted the same way he had that morning. He wouldn't dare say it out loud, but he also got pretty acquainted with their scents- Alfred smelled of summer and fireworks while Ludwig carried something metallic combined with something surprisingly soft like baking (Truly, an odd combination he hoped his nose had simply made up).

Just as Heracles had told him, Mr. Jones had gone over the company guidelines. There was naturally a lengthy section about dynamics and what he expected from each of his workers. He made sure that Kiku knew every rule about omegas and their heats to a T. It was important to always know when it was coming ahead of time instead of just simply disappearing from work without a word. Kiku pondered on that one for a bit. He assured Mr. Jones that it won't be necessary and went on to explain his extremely faint heats that had been going on for a few years. There would be no way he'd miss a single day of work every few months thanks to something like that. Mr. Jones couldn't be happier about the unspoken promise. There were also a few rules regarding courting coworkers, but Kiku felt it didn't apply to him.

When all was said and done and Mr. Beilschmidt had given him his first task to be completed by the end of the work day, Kiku was able to settle into the quiet of his office again. That and the need to complete work seemed to push the day to a close much faster than Kiku expected. After turning in his work, Kiku only had one thing on his mind. He could have sworn that a pair of green eyes were looking his way when he was leaving the building, but he pretended that his brain was playing tricks on him.

When Kiku arrived at his apartment, he noticed Anna wasn't there. It was a bit late in the day, so maybe she had gone to her own home. In the elevator, he was taken into the arms of a certain enthusiastic beta.

“So, how was your first day?” Feliks asked with an excited twinkle in his eyes.

“Are you sure you don't actually live here...?”

Kiku was able to wedge his way out of another invitation to see him and Toris at the latter's apartment, much to Feliks' slight disappointment. Kiku brushed it off and made his way to his own room. It was a bit strange he hadn't seen either of the two at work.

As Kiku slumped into his recliner and exhaled slowly, wishing for all the tension in his body to go away, his eyes flew open. He had forgotten about something important. His weary body had no plans on moving any time soon, and Kiku slipped to the floor with an annoyed groan. Grocery shopping could wait a little longer, he told himself as he removed his tie and carelessly tossed it in a place that he would probably get mad at himself for later.

It had only been his first day, and he wasn't looking forward to the rest of the week. One of the only benefits was the paycheck he'd be given. It was more pay than he had been given before, and there were the aforementioned better use of his abilities in this job. Maybe, if he wanted to, he could look for another job in a much more normal place. Kiku yawned and felt sleep overcoming him. The last thing he saw before his eyes closed was the orange tabby watching him from the balcony.


	3. Just as Bad as You Thought...

In the blink of an eye, his first day had turned into his first week. He could owe it all to his bizarre cast of coworkers who were as different as the colors of the rainbow painted on the very building they all worked in. He could also credit his need to do as much work as swiftly as possible for being the reason time felt like it flew by. Whatever was to blame, Kiku was just glad that it was finally the weekend. He was also glad for his current work schedule being so basic for the time being- weekends off and every other day spent bent over paperwork in his office.

As the days had gone by, Kiku had met other employees who hadn't been present during his tour with Feliciano. On Tuesday, he met a security guard named Natalya who was far too frightening for words to fully describe. He and Toris had watched her chase a visitor right into the road for the basic crime of  littering on their property. She waved her baton threateningly and yelled at the man in a harsh foreign language. It was easy to see why she held her job position. While Kiku was busy backing away from the beta security guard, he could have sworn he heard Toris sigh dreamily. After their unfortunate first meeting in which Kiku could have sworn he was being as kind as possible, Natalya made it clear she didn't like him.

Natalya confronted him, glaring coldly. “You're the new guy.”

“Y-yes?” Kiku looked to Toris for help, but he only shrugged.

She gave him a good look up and down and came to a conclusion of her thoughts on him in mere seconds. “As they say, you have big shoes to fill in, but it doesn't matter what's between your legs or whatever. Really, I don't see why Mr. Jones hired someone else.”

Kiku bit the corner of his lip. Very few people had been this openly cold to him, but at the same time, he was getting mixed messages from the way she stated how it didn't matter what he was. Was it something meant to soften the blow? He doubted that. “He hired me because-”

“Yeah, I know the story.” And just like that, she was gone.

On Wednesday, he met with Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, the head of the Human Resources department. Despite being an alpha, he was incredibly welcoming and kind to Kiku. There wasn't even any overpowering scent in his office. The last time he had spoken with someone in HR, it had been a nasty situation that only served to remind him of his place in society. So much for being resourceful...

Antonio held out his hand, smiling quite brightly. “I'm so happy to finally meet you!”

 _Another bewildering alpha to add to the growing list_ , Kiku thought as he accepted the handshake. This one even carried a rather pleasant odor to him. Kiku internally groaned at smelling another alpha at work. Admittedly, it had been a habit formed for his own safety by his previous job. Memorizing their scents could be useful to detect when an alpha was coming and what mood they were in.

“I'll help you out if you have any problems." Mr. Carriedo informed him as he typed something in his computer. "If I'm being honest, I doubt you will."

Kiku kept his face even, devoid of any telling emotions towards what he had just been told. “What makes you say that exactly?”

He looked away from his monitor. “Alfred has a pretty strict set of rules when it comes to these things. He would probably snap someone in half if they pushed the limits too far.”

Kiku gulped. “Do you really mean that...?”

The Spaniard smiled and laughed. “Trust me, you're in no danger! Don't even worry about that!”

“I see...”

“Just don't be afraid to come speak with me if you need anyone off your back.”

Kiku could think of a few omegas of all people who he'd like to make leave him alone, but he didn't find that to be anything worth telling him. Kiku said his parting words and bowed, which caused the alpha to tell him that it was unnecessary. It was the second time that week he had been told that. For alphas, they weren't very formal or respect-hungry.

Thursday involved computer troubles while Feliciano was visiting him-- uninvited. Eduard was the lead tech expert in the building and solved his issues flawlessly. The beta computer wizard, as he called himself, was also pretty weird.

“I would love to have a transfer!” Eduard announced while he clicked away at different command prompts on Kiku's computer.

Feliciano had taken Kiku's chair and was having a good time spinning around in it. Kiku didn't bother telling the other omega to quit it. After doing another big spin with a boost off his desk, Feliciano shook his head at Eduard. “Yeah, everyone knows about that. If you bring it up one more time, you'll make Alfred real sad at the thought of you leaving!”

“I'll never get transferred anyway! Berwald's company doesn't need anybody.”

Kiku cut in. “Berwald?”

“Oh, he runs a different branch of Beautiful World in northern Europe. He's the best, really. His whole company is. They're all about equality between the dynamics, and his mate- who's an omega by the way- even helps him run the place! Tino owns a little bit more of their branch than Berwald does, though. Although, that doesn't seem like a problem with him.” Thankfully, Edward paused in his rambling. “Oh, you would be perfect there, Kiku.”

Kiku raised both of his eyebrows at that. A company with such fairness on that level; did such a thing really exist? It all sounded like one big fairy-tale to Kiku. Eduard had opened his mouth again, no doubt to sing more of Berwald's praises, when Mr. Beilschmidt barged in to Kiku's office. The intimidating German apologized and glared at his mate who wasn't aware of the current situation.

“Ah, he's all yours.” Eduard pointed to a still spinning Feliciano.

“Francis told me you've got a meeting in five minutes. Why aren't you there?” Ludwig's voice was low, but Kiku could still hear the hidden demand in it.

That was all it took to get him to stop. The redhead jumped up, nearly falling over. “I'm going! I'm going! I'm on my way!”

Friday, however, was when it all changed for the worst. Kiku believed that Wednesday afternoon was at fault for that.

The middle of the week contained another... gift of sorts. He had given in to eating lunch with those from the art department, but it wasn't like Kiku made that decision completely on his own. Feliciano could be terribly persistent and clearly wanted to be friends for some reason or another. It was just regrettable that he still didn't know how to keep his hands to himself. Kiku sat in their usual spot, only half-listening to the others every time he was present. Attempts were made to get him to talk, but he kept his replies politely short. There was only one thing keeping his attention, and that was the awfully quiet Heracles who had given him a momentary look of astonishment when Kiku first joined them. The alpha may have not been expecting Kiku to ever actually appear. All Kiku wished was that he kept his eyes to himself.

As if struck with a much needed miracle, Heracles did exactly that for three days. He was so quiet, he hardly even spoke, even to the others. Really, it made zero sense to personally request his presence, and then not even speak to him! Kiku kept trying to convince himself that there was no reason to be even a tiny but annoyed by that, but it was fruitless. He didn't know what game Heracles was playing at, and that was making him irritated the more it crossed his mind.

Friday had him wanting to turn back time and slap himself for thinking like that. The day started off with a meeting between several of the company's alphas and two omegas; that being himself and- to Kiku's awe- Roderich, who sat right next to him. The only other people he knew in the room were his two bosses, Mr. Carriedo, and some other alphas from the top floor. Absentmindedly, he wondered where Heracles was. He reasoned himself that it was an appropriate thought due to being an alpha, and well, all the other ones were there.

The many strangers in the spacious room were important to Beautiful World's present and future, as Mr. Jones had told him in the elevator ride up to the room. They were investors, shareholders, and many more titles that Kiku couldn't completely comprehend right away. Mr. Jones sympathetically patted Kiku on the back and offered him one of his million dollar smiles as he circled the room, saying his “good morning”s to everyone.

Throughout the meeting, there were various chilling looks directed at him that only worsened when Mr. Jones got him to stand up at the front and introduce himself. The angry comments certainly didn't help, but Kiku quietly congratulated himself for not backing down like they wanted him to. During Mr. Jones's and Ludwig's speech on plans of development for the company, they had brought up what role in all of this Kiku would be playing. It was the first time he was hearing about this, and to say he was interested would have been an understatement. There were collective whispers around the table from the many alphas who looked less than pleased hearing this news. Kiku's stomach churned.

A balding man with thick glasses and a pinstripe suit was seated across from Kiku at the oval table. He was the first to speak his mind. “My apologies, Mr. Jones, but what were you thinking?”

Kiku cast a quick look at his boss. “Mr. Jones has made no mistake in hiring me.”

“I highly doubt that. Also, I wasn't speaking to you.”

Alphas had a tendency to not be big fans of of omegas who stood their ground against them, but if there was anything Kiku had learned from watching Arthur and Alfred interact, it was that the American would take no issue with Kiku doing this. Mr. Jones frowned at the older alpha.

“Don't talk to my employee like he's trash, and don't question my decisions.”

The other man went silent, but someone else raised their voice. At the other end of the table was a female alpha wearing gaudy, gold jewelry and enough black eyeliner to make her eyes look like they were sinking into her skull. Her matte red lips were tightened into a thin line as she spoke sternly. “Mr. Jones, with all due respect, I believe it's of the utmost priority that you wait before you pull him into such big plans."

Kiku clenched his fists in his lap. This was definitely something he would have to let them answer. Mr. Beilschmidt cleared his throat. “We don't want to overwhelm him right away with such massive expectations. Naturally, we were waiting until he's had more time and knows the inner workings of BW much better. He's yet to give us a reason to doubt him.”

Roderich rolled his eyes and whispered to Kiku as another alpha took their turn at trying to dismantle Kiku's work potential. “You're doing impeccable at the moment.”

He didn't need any clarification on what Roderich was talking about. He acknowledged the compliment with a simple nod of his head and turned his attention to Mr. Jones. The projector had been turned on, and he was flipping through various graphs and charts to make whoever had spoken out against him be quiet. When the young alpha had won that victory, he grinned from ear to ear, continuing the meeting as if all were normal. It only took another hour to draw everything to a close.

“We'll be talking to you tomorrow.” The woman with thick black eyeliner announced when she rose from her seat.

“Yes. There's more we need to discuss in private.” Another one agreed with her. “See you tomorrow, Al.”

After a few more forced pleasantries, they all left, leaving only Kiku and Mr. Jones. _That could have been worst_ , Kiku thought. He had done well and to his knowledge, none of his pheromones were detectable by the alphas. He considered this a tremendous victory of his own and got out of his seat.

“Kiku!”

He nearly dropped his folder of papers. “W-wha-?!”

Mr. Jones looked a tad bit sheepish for startling him so badly. “Sorry about that.” He then smiled brightly at Kiku. “You handled them like a pro! I'm really proud of ya'!”

“Thank you.”

“Keep it up!” He shot him a pair of finger guns and a wink.

Kiku left the room with a very small smile on his face. It was hard not to be the tiniest bit happy about his boss applauding him for standing his ground. It felt like something from one of his deepest dreams that he would push away under the idea that it was too unrealistic.

Kiku's happy buzz would only last so long, though.

_______________________________________________________________________

His lunch break had arrived, and this time, he’d actually brought something from home. It may have taken him until the end of the week to finally get that together, but that wasn't important. What truly mattered at that moment was how close the weekend was. He could take some much needed time to recover and recharge all by himself. His apartment was gradually gaining his scent too, and that was actually pretty comforting. He would definitely need that sort of comfort.

Kiku walked alongside Feliciano, who had come barreling out of the elevator at the same time Kiku passed it. “Right on time?”

Feliciano gave him an awkward smile and huffed. “I was speaking with my older brother over the phone. He can be very... um... what's the word...?”

Older brother? For all Kiku knew, Feliciano could have brought up having a sibling when he was talking during Kiku's first day. He felt a twinge of guilt for not listening to him then. “Overwhelming?”

Feliciano sadly nodded. “You remember what I told you about him before?”

Kiku's shoulders went stiff. “Of course!”

On their way to the fountain, Feliciano held a one sided conversation about said brother. He was talking too rapidly for Kiku to pick up on anything besides the name Lovino, and that he was twenty-four. Somewhere along the constant stream of talking, Feliciano came to a grinding halt. Kiku followed his coworker's line of sight to Arthur who was sitting on the bench a few feet away from them, talking into his cellphone. Arthur looked pretty annoyed with whatever conversation he was having and shoved his phone into the inside of his jacket with a huff.

“Oh, good afternoon, Kiku!” The blond immediately became perky.

“Hello, Arthur.” Kiku returned the sentiment and walked forward to take a seat next to him. Feliciano reluctantly followed suit.

“Your first week's been going well?” Arthur inquired with what looked like a possible smile. How uncharacteristic of him...

“Nothing to complain about, really.”

“Good to hear!” Arthur crossed his legs and looked towards the sky. “It's a shame I have to come back to this place tomorrow.”

Feliciano leaned forward from his seat next to Kiku. “But, I thought you wouldn't be here? Isn't your heat-”

“SHHH!” Arthur scared the other omega into silence. “Don't say things like that out loud! It's no one's business about those sorts of horrid things!”

Whatever tiny amount of tension had managed to build up was swiftly put to rest by Kiku. He almost wanted to ask Arthur if he was aware of the strong scent he released when distressed, or ask about his similar hatred of heats. Either one could be looked into later. “You still come to work during ... _that_ time?”

Arthur shook his head. “Of course not! I'm not crazy! It shouldn't even be here until Monday actually. Someone else will be taking my place in the meantime.”

“I won't be needing any time off for mine.” Kiku claimed, calmly eating his food.

Arthur's head snapped in his direction. “What do you mean? Are you one of those rare, infertile omegas or...?”

For a second, there appeared to be a look of envy forming in his eyes. Kiku didn't get a chance to explain the real reason, as Heracles and Francis made their presence known, or rather, _Francis_ made their presence known.

“Feliciano, Kiku, and Arthur! My favorites all in one place.” Francis's voice leaked with sarcasm that Kiku could only assume was directed at Arthur.

As expected, Arthur got on the defensive. “What do you want?"

“If you follow me, I'll tell you.” For once, Arthur actually did as told- with only a few muttered complaints- the two disappeared back inside.

“They're always like this.” Feliciano informed him while standing to his feet. “I wish I could stay, but today, I'm actually spending my lunch time with Ludwig.”

A ditsy smile crossed his features when he said the name of his lover. It was almost sort of adorable.

“I guess it'll just be me and you today.” Heracles spoke in an almost whisper.

Kiku nearly choked on a mouthful of rice. _Oh, no_. He swallowed the urge to call out to a long gone Feliciano, along with his food. Being alone with Heracles didn't feel right. No matter how little he talked. Even if he was used to the quiet. From the corner of his eye, Kiku watched the large alpha claim the place Arthur had once been sitting. Kiku could only stand to take a few more bites of his meal before putting his lunchbox away. As Kiku assumed, Heracles didn't speak for what felt like eons.

“I know you've been asked about this enough already, so I'll ask you a different question.” Heracles suddenly spoke. “How paralyzing has this week been for you?”

Kiku furrowed his brows, looking terribly confused. He kept his gaze steady on a random brick under his left foot and answered him after repeating the question several times to himself. “I've done well.”

“Hm...”

Another period of silence passed, allowing Kiku to listen to the sound of the water running in the fountain. The gentle flow had a soothing effect that felt like it was taking him back in time to the house in the middle of the forest where he spent his adolescence and early adult years. He closed his eyes and focused in on the gentle noise, remembering an old stream that ran through the forest. That location held all the similarities of a happy place for him, but he never really called it by such a name. His brain began conjuring up a very specific memory that closed out once he heard the faint voice of his former guardian calling him back inside. He didn't need to think about that right now or ever. That point of his life was over. Kiku slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times.

Kiku chanced making eye contact with him. Heracles was nothing like the alphas he worked for, or the ones he had been forced into a meeting with. He couldn't get over how particularly odd this one was, and it bothered him that he couldn't figure him out so quickly. _He's more strange than Mr. Carriedo_ , Kiku was stumped.

It seemed okay to talk to him. If only for a little bit while they were outside with plenty of witnesses in case anything were to happen. “My neighborhood is a nice place to return to after work, and I suppose what I've seen so far of the city isn't too bad either.”

“What you've seen so far?”

“I... I just don't really know where everything around here is located. Finding a grocery store that I would like was pretty complicated.” That was what had done him in. In the moment, Kiku, was quick to tack on: “Ah! But, I'll definitely figure it out on my own. It's nothing complicated.”

Heracles's expression gave away nothing. “Do you need a tour?”

Okay, he did need another one, but this time of the city itself. Kiku had no plans to actually go anywhere unless he absolutely needed to, but it wouldn't hurt to know where grocery and clothing stores where at. Along with the hospital... But really, he could figure it out on his own. Heracles really didn't need to do something like that.

“I'm sure you have your own duties to tend to."

“Not really. I have to see my mother on Sunday, but I'm completely free Saturday.”

Saturday?! That was tomorrow! That really didn't leave him with much of a window. “Um, I really don't know.”

“It's fine. Think about it and let me know at the end of the day. I'll be in my office.”

From inviting him to sit with him at lunch to wanting to show him around town. What was this man going to do next? Ask him to join offices? He snorted at his own absurd thoughts and agreed to Heracles's suggestion. Surely, someone else would be free to take him if he so desired.

No. There was nobody. After their break, Kiku had asked Feliciano and Toris when the latter came by on the behalf of Mr. Jones. They both had plans for the weekend. On one hand, he was grateful Feliciano wouldn't be able to be his tour guide again, but on the other hand, he didn't have many options. Arthur's heat was apparently arriving soon, and it felt wrong to ask him to spend his Sunday with him. He wouldn't dare ask Feliks- if he actually saw him at work. Requesting his boss for a tour of the city felt even more wrong. Kiku stared down the clock on his monitor. His will to do work wasn't quite as strong with thoughts on how to weasel his way out of the situation playing in his mind. He could always tell Heracles ,“Maybe another time,” but Kiku realized he didn't actually have many suits for work. Washing his clothes three or more times a week during every month would be beyond annoying. He had so many of those obnoxious robes, but he had no plans to start wearing those again anytime soon.

“Why did I even take those with me...?” Kiku pinched the bridge of his nose and sunk into his seat. “I'll just ask where important stores are at.”

With his mind made up, Kiku managed to return to his work with only an hour left. When his time to get off came, Kiku gathered his work to take to his apartment and quickly left his office. He arrived at Heracles's office faster than he expected. The brunet sat at his own desk with the door wide open, not caring to keep his space personal one would guess. Kiku still knocked at the door three times, gaining the alpha's attention.

“You can still take me right?”

_______________________________________________________________________

He had managed to fall back asleep but forced himself to get out of the safe, warm haven that was his bed. Brown eyes narrowed at the alarm clock as the numbers blinked in an obnoxious red glow. There were only two hours left until he had to meet with Heracles at their chosen place: the cafe next to Beautiful World. This wasn't how he wanted to spend his weekend, but he needed to get this over with.

As he dragged himself out of his bedroom, Kiku thought of how much he had wanted to see various environments all around the world as a child. All the books he had read against his family's demands had included so many photographs and paintings of sites that he wanted to see with his own eyes. He had also wished for a camera for personal documentation of it all. To this day, he still didn't have a camera, or even a cellphone.

Getting ready proved to be easier said than done. Not only was finding an appropriate outfit needlessly complicated- and another reminder of his need for more clothes- but there was also his body lazily moving about. Kiku chalked up his morning slowness to being a product of having not had one on one time with an alpha outside of work in several years, and he was clearly looking less forward to that with each passing minute. Last minute fears on potential outcomes of the situation wracked his head, leaving him with a headache that was only increasing in strength as he got dressed. Kiku reminded himself that he had gotten through the meeting just fine and was even commemorated by his boss for his efforts. He should be able to handle this.

Kiku left the security of the apartment complex and took the same bus he used for work. Hardly anyone was there, but Kiku sat in the back like he always did anyway. He arrived to the sight of Heracles fixing his thick, curly hair in the reflection of one of the cafe's windows. Judging by his frustrated face, he may have been doing this for longer than needed. Speaking of, what was Heracles trying to fix using only his hands? His hair always looked so uncouth. It didn't make any difference now, did it?

“Excuse me?”

The alpha spun around, looking somewhat embarrassed. He brushed a few stray curls that had fallen in his eyes away and smiled a bit. “Good morning, Kiku.”

Kiku returned the smile but only for the sake of being kind. “Would you like to get started right away?”

“Sure. I can take you to the shopping district. That's where a lot of what you'll need is located.”

“Okay-”

“But we'll need to take a taxi. I'll pay for it.”

“Wait-”

Just like that, Heracles was already walking back towards the street. A few bright yellow taxis were out, and one of them was headed in their direction.

“Hold on a second!”

Heracles faced him. “I'm the one who invited you out here, I'll pay for it.”

He had proven a good point. Kiku would be highly likely to do the same in Heracles's position, but it was still bothersome knowing this weird alpha would be paying for transportation. That had better be all he would be paying for.

With a defeated sigh, Kiku gave in. “Fine. I can pay you back-”

“There's no need for that.” Heracles stated after he was done signaling for the cab.

With alphas, there was no point in arguing money related issues. Kiku actually had that in common. To avoid butting heads over the issue, Kiku dropped the subject and stepped into the vehicle once it stopped for them.

The ride was just as silent as he thought it would be. The driver wasn't talking either. Kiku looked out the window, watching several buildings pass by. The car was moving too quickly to read some of the names, but when they stopped at a red light, he was able to read the name “OCTAVIA & Doe” on a very modern looking skyscraper. In fact, it was so modern that it was the edge of being futuristic.

Heracles must've noticed what he was staring at. From his seat against the opposite door, he answered the unspoken question. “Some of the other people on Beautiful World's team work there. There's a lawyer that Alfred praises who's in that very building.”

“Having them in a different place is odd.” Kiku continued gawking at the building until the car sped along. “Who's the lawyer?"

Heracles's face took on an expression that Kiku didn't even know it was capable of. He looked so impossibly disgusted and irritated. “Forget I said anything."

Whoever the mystery lawyer was, Heracles obviously didn't like him. What could someone do to get under such a seemingly easy-going person's skin so badly?

The rest of the trip was just as silent as it had began. Kiku could feel Heracles calming down from his earlier aggression, and that set his own nerves to ease. It was an absolute burden of omegas to be so sensitive to an alpha's emotions. It was for their own safety, but it was something Kiku yearned to leave behind and not have as a part of his biology. Somehow, it was easier to ignore a room full of alphas out for his blood in a meeting (that was an only mildly drastic way to phrase it). It made so little sense to him why that was. 

The taxi stopped at a curb, and Heracles paid their fee. Kiku looked away from the transaction. He preferred to be the one paying, but that was a long since ended topic which in no way still bothered him. Not even a little bit.

Kiku and Heracles quickly got out. The alpha wasted no time in moving along- although it was at a pretty leisurely pace. That was something Kiku actually didn't mind as much as he should have. Something Kiku did mind, however, was the lack of a specific objective. “Where are you taking me first?”

“A clothing store.” Was his only reply.

Once more, Kiku was left to observe everything around him: people coming and going from different stores, the many smells of street-side food vendors, expansive windows in every other store displaying what goods they had to sell, and many signs advertising whatever deals a store was offering. There was so much around him that it had him feeling dizzy. They passed advertising boards that were the height of an entire building level. The faces of many celebrities smiling brightly at him with perfect teeth,  wearing whatever they were paid to sell, had him feeling more scared than lured in. None of this had been in his former town.

He was struck with one of his least favorite feelings. The reminder of how small he was. He started shrinking away from a store playing music loud enough to make the ground in front of it shake. They made their way through throngs of people that all had such wildly different scents and voices filled with too much excitement. Kiku gathered his wits and held his head high. He was letting this get to him too easily again. He didn't need a repeat of the airport.

Kiku followed Heracles closer, noticing the way some people would move out of their path as if it were an unquestionable instinct. Nothing about the alpha leading him along the sidewalk was scary enough to deserve that treatment. Kiku shook his head.

“There's a place that would be perfect for you. It's also where I go.” Heracles said.

Kiku observed Heracles well fitted clothes. They were a little bit _too_ well fitting in certain areas. His plain white shirt left none of his muscles to the imagination. Kiku quickly looked back up at Heracles's face. The alpha had slowed down even more to walk up the steps leading to a store he didn't quite catch the name of. _I'll get it when we walk out_.

The cashier greeted Heracles in a way that showed she was familiar with him already. “Morning, Hera!"

Heracles didn't react much to the nickname, but Kiku was puzzled. "How often does one come here to earn a nickname?"

Heracles gave a ghost of a frown to Kiku. “I'm only here to show my coworker around.”

The very youthful looking girl's smile dropped a little until she looked at Kiku. While eyeing him, she reached a hand up to toy with one of her pigtails and waved. “Hello! I'm Malika. If you need any help with anything, I'll most likely be here. If not, there's my dad, or this other guy, Steve.”

When they were out of Malika's hearing range, Heracles whispered to him. “She's the beta daughter of the owner. Energetic teen who should be working at a store more geared to her interests.”

The store wasn't brightly lit, and there was a soft near-orange glow in the lighting. The floors were a mix of well-polished wood and tile. He took a small whiff of the air, inhaling the faint scents of cologne and shoe polish. All around them were racks of men's clothing, mostly tailored to fit a fashion sense that wasn't attention grabbing. Kiku looked over his shoulder at Malika. She really did stand out like a sore thumb.

When Kiku was satisfied with his investigation of the shop, they left with a wave goodbye. The next place was a furniture store oddly enough. Kiku didn't bother asking Heracles why that of all places. They remained in silence in that location as well, only speaking when they needed to, and when Heracles knew Kiku was done, he lead him to the next store. The day went along like that until Kiku felt he knew a fifth of the district like the back of his hand. There were no unnecessary breaks or pauses. Honestly, Heracles managed to make a better guide than Feliciano.

When they were in the taxi on the path to a supermarket that Heracles had described as being small and quaint, he inspected his phone, taking note of the time. “Hm. It's the afternoon.”

If he had to be honest, Kiku admitted that things hadn't been so troublesome with an alpha. Yet, anyway. He kept a respectable distance away from him in the car, never once tried to put his hands on him, and he didn't abuse the power dynamic between them. Kiku wasn't anywhere close to being lulled into a possible false sense of security, but it felt tempting. Before Heracles put his phone away, Kiku took note of how the case around it undeniably had kittens all over it. How daring.

“I was wondering if you'd like to join me for a quick lunch before heading to the library. I've had you away from your home most of the day, so I believe it makes sense to offer that.”

Kiku coughed. Visiting the library wasn't something he asked of him, but he wasn't going to say no either. With a small nod, Kiku agreed to the offer, making sure that Heracles knew he would be paying for his own meal.

The market was just as his coworker described it. It was another family owned business with the parents at the front of the store, waiting behind the registers. Their teen children were stocking shelves while loudly listening to music through their earphones.

Kiku explored the shelves of international snack foods while Heracles was on the other side of it, looking at something else. Through their barrier of sorts, Kiku asked the other, “Is this another place you come to often?"

“You found me out.” Kiku could hear a smile in his voice. “Yes, there's another place I frequent before library trips near here. That's where I wanted to go afterwards.”

The entire tour had been made up of places Heracles liked or presumably liked enough to show Kiku. That only made him wonder. “How long have you been living here?”

They reached the end of the shelves and Heracles looked down at Kiku. “My mother moved here and brought me along when I was about eighteen. She does work in archaeology. More specifically, she works for the local museum.”

Kiku was finding himself not only getting less bothered by the people and unknown areas as the day dragged on, but also wanting to know more about Heracles's mother. The subject of her work was something that had been interesting to him for years. They stepped out onto the pavement outside the store and into the slight chill of the afternoon.

“I wouldn't mind visiting the museum sometime.” Kiku grinned a bit.

“Maybe I could take you one day, and you could meet her.”

Kiku prayed that it was just a weird joke. A very weird, inappropriate joke.

A stop was made at a large food truck with quite the line of people. The queue moved at a steady pace, giving Heracles time to further illustrate a better picture of his mother's work.

“She's been studying the topic since high school, and most of her work now is focused on former civilizations along the Mediterranean Sea.” Heracles moved a few steps further in the line.

“Close.” Perpetually, sleepy-looking eyes lit up with interest. “A Greek hero. My mother is named after a goddess. It runs in the family. You know about mythology?”

For the first time that day, a steady flow of conversation ensued. They took a short pause to get their food but carried on with talks of history and mythology right after. Kiku paid  no attention to where they were walking or what they passed up. He was too engrossed in the conversation to care. He had never met anybody else who he could share this knowledge with, and it was exciting to have someone to talk to. An omega being fascinated with ancient history would be seen as a waste of time, but Heracles said nothing of the sort to him. Kiku was undoubtedly looking forward to the library visit where Heracles promised to show him a personal selection of books on the topics.

They had to take another taxi. Heracles once again informed Kiku that he would be paying for the ride. Kiku gave no objections, and they returned to a state of quiet during their trip. It was a comfortable sort of silence that Kiku hadn't experienced in far too long.

_______________________________________________________________________

“This book?” Heracles's face reddened a bit. “I read it so much that I've practically memorized every page.

“Is it that good?”

Kiku stood beside Heracles in a section of the enormous library dedicated to mythology. Being surrounded by so much free knowledge was staggering. No one had even asked him what dynamic he was when they first walked in. This was a massive change in his life that he could definitely get used to. He felt like a spoiled child.

“There's one about cats right here.” Kiku was instantly reminded of Heracles's kitten phone case. “It looks like an interesting read.”

The alpha leaned over his shoulder to get a good look at the book as well. Kiku felt a chill move down his spine, making him freeze up. “Ah, that. I've actually read it. Speaking of, there's a number of stray cats behind this building. I've given a few of them names, and last time I was here, there were newborns.”

It was safe to say that he had discovered another one of the alpha's loves. He felt like he knew him a little too well in less than a day, but it was something else he shared with the Greek. Kiku moved away from him and towards another array of books. “There's a lot of strays in my neighborhood."

He didn't need to be looking at the other to know he was delighted by that fact. “Sounds like a nice place.”

He thought back to his mysterious nightly visitor and smiled to himself. “There's one that comes to visit me quite often. Ever since I've moved in, really.”

“Oh? I wouldn't mind getting to know this cat."

Kiku nearly froze up again. It was another bewildering joke that Kiku wanted him to stop. He decided to cut this short. “They're very weary of strangers.”

“I know how to interact with them.” Heracles reassured him. “How do you think I got so close to the strays over here?”

 _Why is he doing this?_ Kiku merely nodded his head in silent understanding. “Can you show me how to get a library card?”

He wasn't aiming to leave the library in such a hurry but something about his coworker had started feeling off _again_. At the very least, he could come on his own time and explore the place better alone. He blocked out any feelings of growing guilt over wanting to leave before Heracles could show him anything else in the library. Kiku followed behind Heracles- just as he had been doing for hours- and swore to himself that leaving so soon was his own choice. It was getting pretty late anyway. He easily obtained his card, marveling in the fact that there was no large, glaring “O” stamped on it, and the two of them headed outside.

“They're over here.” Heracles still had every intention of showing him the strays. _Of course_.

Behind the library was a sizable grassy lot with large rocks covered in moss. A few tall trees were scattered about and looking up, Kiku noticed a balcony a few floors above them. Behind the rocks and trees, Kiku noticed a small lake with people sitting in lawn chairs around it. The landscape was awfully simple but still picturesque.

“The cats like to hide over there.” The alpha pointed to a small collection of bushes beside a tree. He wasted no time in walking over to them, bending down, and after a few seconds, picked up a spotted black and white cat. The sudden intrusion had more of the coming out, greeting Heracles by rubbing against him and purring so loudly that Kiku could hear them clearly.

Kiku watched the scene play out, shocked by Heracles's gentleness with the felines. They truly were very familiar with him. In an amusing light, it was like watching a giant playing with fragile infants. Kiku went over to join him. “Thank you for showing me this.”

“It's fine.” He smiled softly. “You're the only other person I've ever shown them to.”

Kiku looked at him, lips parted as if he wanted to say something but ultimately decided not to. “We should really get going.”

Heracles gently placed the cat down. Kiku had to stifle his laughter when Heracles began whispering goodbyes to them. What a way to end the day after feeling tense only moments ago...

Another taxi ride was necessary to return to the cafe so Kiku could make his way to his apartment. Heracles made another polite offer to take him directly there, but Kiku outright refused. “This will be just fine,” he had told him as they waited for a cab to come their way. Their last trip together was just as quiet as all the other ones. Kiku had no complaints about it. He spent the ride committing the names of every store they visited to memory so it could all be written down when he was in his room. A cell phone would certainly be useful then.

Kiku began wondering how differently the day would have gone if anyone else had taken him. Would Feliciano have shown him his favorite places, too? He could only imagine how noisy they could possibly be. Not only that, but just how quickly Kiku would have wanted to go home after. He didn't hate the Italian by any means, but he could be too much sometimes. There was no way Kiku would have been able to easily deal with him on a Saturday.

“We're here.”

Heracles had opened the door for Kiku and was waiting for him to get out. “Oh. My apologies.”

“I got a message telling me that I needed to attend something happening at work. So, maybe it was good we left earlier than expected.” They watched the taxi leave after the door was closed. “I'll be seeing you Monday?”

Kiku nodded. “Yes, I guess you will be. Thank you for doing all of this for me.”

“You're welcome. By the way, you don't have to pay me back for any of this.”

“I-I-” Kiku stuttered. Heracles had managed to read right into what he was going to say next.

A gentle chuckle came from the alpha. “I mean it.”

Kiku eyed the people eating at the cafe like they were suddenly the most interesting beings in the world, rather than continue looking at the man who was embarrassing him. “Okay...”

“Bye, Kiku.” Heracles left in the direction of work just as his phone was going off again.

Kiku watched him until Heracles looked over his shoulder at him when he was a good distance away. Kiku jumped at being caught and stumbled away. He had only been watching him for the sake of knowing when it would be safe to go to the bus stop. He wasn't sure if Heracles would actually follow him, but it was a safety precaution. Being an omega out alone when the sun was going down would normally be something to fear, but he made it back in one piece.

Anna greeted him with a wave. “I hear you met my little sister this week."

“Sister?” Kiku stopped. “Who is she?”

“She's a security guard at Beautiful World.” Anna replied.

Kiku clutched the front of his shirt. They were siblings?! “Oh... I met her.”

“She's really something else, to say the least.” Anna wistfully sighed. “Please, keep an eye on her for me.”

“I'll do my best.”

Luckily, he didn't run into Feliks or Toris on his way up to his floor. His legs moved down the hall on autopilot, suddenly aware of how much pain they were in. He not only needed the familiarity of his apartment room, but a nice, hot bath to soothe his aching body. Kiku inserted the key and entered his living room. After stopping himself from collapsing right there, Kiku shut the door and moved to his bathroom. With the water filling the tub, Kiku had ample time to write down what he had learned from his tour. He felt relief knowing that he and Heracles wouldn't have to see each other so often at work. There was a growing sense of regret about that as well, but Kiku was having none of that. He stripped himself of his clothing and got in, ready to forget all of his worries.

Kiku didn't want to think about anything else for the rest of the weekend. He leaned his head back against the edge of the tub, feeling sleep try to overtake him. His eyelids became heavier with each passing second. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a memory resurfaced.

  _This is all wrong. His book is ripped out of his hands, and a firm slap is delivered across his face. He looks into the eyes of the alpha children who were only a few years older than him. Tears begin welling up in his own eyes, which only gives them ammunition to further bully him. He raises a hand to his face, feeling the stinging heat blooming in his cheek._

_“Why do you waste your time with that?!” The oldest spat. He crosses his arms over his chest and shakes his head._

_One of his friends chimes in. “Yeah! Don't make us tell on you again for breaking omega rules!”_

_The tears start flowing out of his control. “You wouldn't!”_

_“Let us tell you a little secret that everyone already knows about.” The leader speaks again._

_“No wait! Let's show the crybaby what we mean!” An alpha girl, and the youngest of them, cuts in._

_All he wants to do is run away from them. He didn't want to continue to prove how emotional omegas could get, and he didn't want to see what they had to show him. It's going to be something disturbing like usual. They had all gone through puberty, and often used whatever grotesque knowledge they had gained to ridicule him- and whatever future he's going to have there._

_“Get your ass up, Kiku. We have something real important for you to see.”_

_He's dragged along by the five of them to a place his parents always tell him to avoid. It's a small house covered in the darkness of many low hanging trees. The house isn't too far away from the village, but it isn't that close either. The entire journey consists of giggling, threats, and barely contained whimpers. The older kids treat him far _worse than the grownups._ _

__They approach the house as quietly as possible. The eerie quiet in the area is making him feel painfully anxious at what sight they'll be forcing upon him. Then, he hears whimpering, but it isn't coming from him. There's more strange sounds that he can't name as they come closer._ _

__“Stay around the corner.” The leader demands, and the chubby girl who had been holding him in his arms the whole time, holds him even tighter._ _

__He squirms in her grip, but it's to no avail. Suddenly, the group's whispering comes to a grinding halt. The one holding him captive gives him a view of what's going on inside the house. Through the open door, he sees a peek of someone on their knees. With the aid of the light, he's able to make out that the person is wearing horribly revealing robes. Another person approaches them._ _

__“You were trying to keep your heat a secret from me, weren't you?”_ _

__“N-No.” The omega on their knees shakes their head vigorously. “I would never!”_ _

__“Lies. Be more like Aiko. He is in his heat as well, and he fully embraces it.”_ _

__Another omega appears in his line of sight, crawling on his hands and knees towards the alpha. This one wore nothing. The alpha lifts up his robes-_ _

Kiku had been slipping further under the water when he snapped awake, breathing heavily. He wanted to throw up. The disgusting taste in his mouth had him leaning over the tub, but nothing was coming out no matter how much he heaved. The dry retching came to an unsuccessful stop, and Kiku stood up, wanting clothes now more than ever. He would empty the water later. Kiku left large puddles leading up to the towel wrack, and the dresser in his room. Despite how warm the bath had been, his whole body felt freezing cold.

When poorly dried off and half dressed, Kiku dropped on his bed and curled into a ball. He had never pulled up a memory that horrid before. Most of them lay repressed under lock and key where it was best for him. He couldn't think of any triggers for what could cause him to remember that unless... Kiku shut out any other attempts his mind made at forming the rest of that cursed memory. Staying out with an alpha for so long had turned out to be as bad as he foresaw it. No matter how pleasant of company Heracles could be at times, it had it's negative effects. Kiku firmly believed that was the cause of it.

Kiku placed a hand over his stomach as it began to ache. He dug the fingers of his free hand deep into the mattress. He would need to keep his distance from Heracles. It had to be the only solution to prevent this from happening again. Kiku refocused on the pain in his belly. He hadn't felt anything like it since he was in his late twenties. For the next few hours, Kiku tossed and turned in his bed, groaning in some unidentifiable discomfort. Things proceeded this way until he passed out as the pain eventually subsided. The day had just been one giant mistake that he would never repeat again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will have a change of POV to our boi Arthur  
> Also for whatever reason the italics just said fuck you in the middle of the flashback but they're still there in the draft?? I don't know...


	4. A Day in Hell Pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean to say this a few chapters ago, but I know about all the confusion and drama surrounding the countries’ human names. For the sake of ease and my own confusion, I’m going with the already given names of each of them. The ones who have one anyway. Also, I apologize for the long wait with this chapter.

All he wanted was more sleep. Was that too much to ask for? Arthur looked out his kitchen window, cursing everyone who got to enjoy their day off. It's not like the work he did was even complicated, but it was certainly a waste of his precious skills and time. How did one even get a promotion when they worked as a receptionist? Whatever the answer to the question was didn't bother him. Arthur was too busy clinging to fantasies of holding a higher position in the company that actually challenged him and felt rewarding.

Truth be told, Arthur had always had problems with finding work. People weren't so quick to hire an omega who didn't behave like one.  If they did hire him, he didn't last long due to arguments... and one or two fist fights. Arthur considered himself lucky to have landed a job at Beautiful World, and he had no plans of ruining it no matter how much he disliked his station. Admittedly, he was jealous of Kiku, but he would sooner gargle battery acid than have anyone else know such a thing.

Arthur looked down at the morning mail next to his near empty mug of tea, needing a distraction from his bitter train of thought. On top of the stack of junk mail was a pristine white envelope with lacy edges and fancy designs that sparkled in the light. It was clearly something of importance. The address in the corner of it held the name of his family back home in England. There was only one thing this could be, and he truly didn't want to deal with it right now or ever.

He downed the rest of his tea and sighed. That distraction ended as soon as it started. “Fine. I guess I'll get to work then.” He muttered to himself.

It was still a bit too early to leave, but there was no use in staying around an empty home with nothing to do. He put his mug in the sink, pulled on his jacket, and headed out. Work could easily be the ultimate distraction.

_______________________________________________________________________

Thanks to it being a Saturday, there weren't too many employees wondering around. He arrived at the fountain to the sight of Francis and his wife being the only two outside, talking about who knows what. Arthur wanted to sneak around them and go on about his business, but his plan was instantly foiled by the French bastard who waved him over with a big grin. Since the day they met at BW, it felt like the beta's only mission in life was to make Arthur's miserable.

“Arthur! What luck that we get to see each other before you're even inside.”

He looked at him, confused, approaching the couple slowly. “Why's that...?”

Francis's wife, Jeanne- who he had always failed at getting along with since they were introduced to each other by Francis himself- answered. “I'm taking your place for the day.”

“So, I have _no_ reason to even be here right now?” Arthur was ready to turn around and go straight back home when Francis called out to him.

“Don't be so eager to leave!” Francis chuckled a bit. “You have to go see Alfred in his office. He's got something important to tell you.”

Arthur wasn't given a chance to openly complain about that. Jeanne cut off the groan that didn't even get to leave his lips. “I don't suggest going in there yet. He's in a meeting with alphas.”

Jeanne didn't make getting along with her easy. She could be quite bitter with him, and Arthur didn't know what the exact reason behind that was. Was it because he wasn't the most friendly person in the world to her spouse? Or maybe it was because she was a higher dynamic than him? In any case, Arthur assumed that at her worst, she would have let him into Alfred's office without informing him of something so important. Not that he would be afraid of something like that to begin with.

The female alpha suddenly walked past him, disappearing inside along with the sound of her thick heels clacking against the pavement. Francis stood up and leaned against Arthur, using his shoulder like an arm rest.

“Another fair warning just for you.” He began with a slight grin. “You have quite the day ahead of you. I hope you do well.”

“Stop screwing with my head.” Arthur frowned.

“No, really!” Francis waved his other hand defensively. “I heard we need to scope out a few new locations to do business. There's also the upcoming spring fair- local businesses want to get in on it.”

Arthur placed his hands on his hips and cocked his head to the side. “What does any of that have to do with the receptionist?”

Francis stepped away and gave Arthur a strong pat on the back. “You're important in ways you don't realize."

“What...?”

Francis began walking over to one of the other buildings. “Bye, Arthur!”

Arthur was left standing alone. He stared in the other's direction long after he was gone, questioning everything that had just happened. If he wasn't going to be working his station today, then what would he be doing? If he were a daft fool, he would hope Alfred was giving him a promotion.  _Ugh, let me stop wasting my time._

Arthur's journey to Alfred's office wasmostly a quiet one. There were no lines at the elevator, and hardly anyone looking to get on it once he entered. Everything felt oddly peaceful until he made it to the double, cherry wood doors at the end of the top floor. Beyond them, he heard muffled voices that sounded less than pleased. Arthur was left with two choices: either wait outside on one of the benches or eavesdrop. After a short internal argument with himself, eavesdropping won easily. Arthur got a little closer to hear better, but still kept a bit of distance in case he needed to fall back on one of the seats to look innocent.

“Hiring an omega in such a high position has never happened before. Not in this company at least.” One woman spoke bitterly. “And it has no right to happen.”

“Don't even bother bringing up Berwald's branch.” Another one cut in.

“Honda can claim anything he wants, but it won't change how his brain is wired. Omegas only know one thing, and they have that, frankly, _disgusting_ time of the month.”

The first thing he noticed was how unusually quiet Alfred was being. The second thing he noticed was how backwards and idiotic  their statements were. He wanted nothing more than to throw the doors open and cut the mess of a meeting short.

“Having someone so sensitive on the same floor as alphas is another awful mistake, Mr. Jones. You have no idea what could happen to him when surrounded by a stronger presence all day!”

Finally, the American spoke up. “You're quick to forget he was in a meeting with you guys just the other day, and he held his own incredibly well.”

There was a scoff. “Don't remind me."

“In fact,” Alfred continued, “he's done pretty well this week. Next week, he's set to be more involved with other parts of the company.”

A short pause ensued, but was quickly broken by someone else. “Does your father even know what you're doing to this place?”

“Yes!” His boss's reply was a bit too cheery for his liking. “Considering he's no longer in charge, I don't think his opinion is of any importance to you.”

“Let me tell you a story,” the woman from earlier began, “I once hired an omega to do my housework. Something simple, something he should already know how to do. It's a common paid job for them anyway, as you know, right?”

She paused, and Arthur could only assume that it was because Alfred nodded his head. “Well, he couldn't even do that right. He lied about when his heat started, and I caught him fuc-”

Alfred sounded disgusted. “Okay, okay! I don't know what that has to do with anything-”

“What am I saying is that you don't know if he's lying to worm his way this high.”

“She has a good point. Albeit wrapped up in an odd story no one asked to hear.” It sounded like the alpha talking had just been hit mid-sentence. “To put it simply, an omega who's made it this far wouldn't want to lose their place to their dynamic. Lies like that are quite common in some fields of work."

Another moment of silence waiting for Alfred's response that never came.

“You yourself don't even have a mate.”

It felt like it came out of nowhere. Arthur had to pull away from the door that he hadn’t even noticed he was pressed up against. He wanted nothing more than to hear where that was going, but he also couldn't bring himself to continue.

“Um, what are you doing?”

The soft voice behind him startled him more than it had any right to. “Matthew?”

Arthur turned to face Alfred's brother who looked far too much like him. To this day, he still didn't know if they were twins. Matthew took a seat on one of the benches against the wall and fiddled with his tie. “I came up here to ask what work I missed while I was out for the week. It's been a while since I was out for this long, but we're just lucky these annoying heats don't happen that frequently, huh?”

Arthur took one last look at the door and sat beside Matthew. “Yes. Truly.”

“So, what were you doing against the door?”

He winced. That wasn't going to be forgotten so quickly. Arthur searched his head for a quick lie that would make sense. “I was checking if the door worked.”

“What-”

“You know, I could have sworn these offices up here were sound proof, but those bloody alphas can still find a way to be heard.” Arthur awkwardly laughed.

Matthew gave him a confused, doubtful look but ultimately accepted the answer. “Ah, I see. I guess...”

They were in desperate need of a conversation change. “What made you decide to come back today for something like that?”

The taller omega pushed his glasses up his nose. “I figured it was better to know ahead of time so I won't be a mess about things on Monday. What brings you up here?”

“I don't know actually. I was just told to come see him, and here I am.”

Matthew looked uneasy about something but was staying quiet like normal. Whatever was on his mind, he wouldn't have been able to get it out anyway, due to the doors to Alfred's office bursting open at that moment. Every alpha that had been inside began filing out. Their faces were all very telling of the disaster that happened inside if Arthur's eavesdropping hadn't been enough on it's own. The smell of unhappy alphas caused him to cover his nose and glared at them. Some alphas could be so disgustingly careless with how they released their scents.

Alfred stood in the doorway. He took in a deep breath then greeted his brother and Arthur with one of his million dollar smiles. “Bro, I didn't know you would be here! Unfortunately, I won't be in for the rest of the day.

“Huh?” Arthur and Matthew said in unison.

“I'll explain more when you come inside.”

The two followed him into his spacious office that was just as colorful and horribly decorated as the lobby. The lingering smells of the displeased alphas clung to the room. Accepting there was no escape from that, Arthur slowly took a seat in front of Alfred's ornate glass desk, and Matthew did the same. Glancing around the room, Arthur made eye contact with a very anxious looking Toris in the corner by the windows. The beta jumped, clutching his stomach a little as he walked over to the three. _He must have been locked in here with them_ , Arthur thought. If he could take any other job around Beautiful World, he would never want Toris's work.

“So, I'll be gone on business matters and leaving Toris in charge as I've done a few times in the past.” Alfred stood behind his desk and clasped his hands together.

“Yes, but what does any of that have to do with me?” Arthur asked.

Alfred looked at him and huffed like an exasperated child. “I'm getting to you, Arthur. Hold on a second.”

Arthur sat back into the blue velvet seat and crossed his arms over his chest. It was looking to be a painfully long day.

“Ludwig isn't here which is why Toris will be in charge. Matthew, you'll be speaking to him about what you missed.”

Matthew nodded and followed Toris out of the room. Leaving a beta as boss for a day was nothing unusual for business owners to do. It was only a procedure followed for when no secondary alphas were around to take the head alpha's place. Plus, it would make some alphas look bad if word got out that they let the lowest dynamic watch over their precious business.

When the door closed, it felt like some sort of finality to Arthur's fate for the day. He turned back to face Alfred, finding it a bit weird that he hadn't stated the exact reason he wouldn't be at Beautiful World. Unless, Alfred was saving that info specifically for him.

“You'll be my assistant for the day.” Alfred announced with no warning or even a touch of grace. It was like having a bag of bricks dropped on him, and he didn't like it one bit.

Arthur lifted himself out of the chair to be face to face with Alfred- or as close to it as his height would allow. He put on a stern expression as he spoke to the younger man. “You can't just drop this on me! It doesn't seem very proper at all does it? Plus, spending my Saturday by your side sounds like hell.”

Alfred cocked an eyebrow at him. “Well, if honesty is the policy right now, let me just say that I don't want to be in this situation either.”

“H-hey!” Arthur placed his hands on his hips, looking offended. “What is that supposed to mean?”

He went ignored. _Naturally_. “The only reason I'm making you tag along with me is because I have no one else around here to choose from.”

For a second, Arthur almost felt touched by that. Until he remembered that there really wasn't a wide selection of people present. Not to mention, there was nobody else who had such a seemingly unimportant job they could be taken away from for a few hours and nothing too bad would happen.

“Aren't I lucky...” Arthur quietly remarked.

Alfred went around his desk, gathering items to place in a large laptop case slung over his shoulder. He picked up a few files and handed a leather bound notebook over to Arthur. “If that's what you want to call it- but hey, I'll be paying you extra for this so quit it with the frowning.”

Arthur's pessimistic attitude only slightly decreased at the promise of more money for an unexpected work day. With that out of the way, Arthur accepted the notebook and tried talking about something simpler. “Francis told me about checking out locations.”

He watched his boss thumb a key chain in the shape of one of his favorite superheroes, looking a bit uneasy. “Yes, but that isn't the only thing you'll be aiding me with.” Alfred pocketed his keys and gave Arthur his full attention. The look in his bright, blue eyes gave Arthur the impression that he was going to be saying something serious- “But no seriously, quit frowning. The other dudes are gonna have a problem with me having an omega like you with me.”

Arthur nearly felt something in him snap at that, but he remained calm; as calm as he normally attempted to be. “So, let me get this straight. You're pretty much telling me to be on my best behavior for anyone else we meet up with?”

Alfred gave him a wide smile. “Exactly!”

He tried reasoning that it wasn't unfair of him to request such a thing. He tried holding back the urge to slap that grin off his face, but that was a very normal feeling for him on most days they interacted. Arthur ran a hand through his wild hair and gave Alfred a grin of his own. “Whatever you say, _Mr. Jones_.”

It was hard to tell if his sarcasm was picked up by the other. Alfred maintained his happy face and tilted his head in the direction of the door, silently telling Arthur they were leaving. Oh, how staying in bed sounded even more appealing to him at that moment. He had no plans to act like the omegan secretary people or Alfred would expect of him. Yes, he needed this job, but he wasn't going to continue with some charade of acting like it was A-okay. Francis must have known that this was going to happen. His wife had been kind enough to warn him, but Francis couldn't even do the same?!

Arthur was in the middle of swearing revenge on Francis when he bumped into Alfred's back. “I know you like magic a lot, but you can't walk through me.”

 _This insufferable twat-_ “How are we going to get to our destination? Taxi?” Arthur questioned him.

“Sounds-”

“I'll need to thoroughly clean your seat to remove any scent of you though.”

Arthur hit his arm with the notebook and walked ahead at a faster pace. “You're really pushing it!”

Arthur could easily say the same thing about himself in these situations with his boss. The most real magic he had ever experienced was not getting fired yet.

In no time at all, they were in the employee parking lot. There was typically no reason for Arthur to be in the area, but in the few moments he had been there, a certain car had always gleamed brighter than the rest, as if the lights of heaven were shining down on it. It just _had_ to belong to the noisy American. The sports car was a shade of blue even more attention grabbing than its owner's eyes, with metallic silver detailing. It was without a doubt more expensive than anything Arthur could afford. He didn't even own a car, so there wasn't much comparison there...

“I just cleaned this baby the other day. Don't mess it up, okay?” Alfred instructed Arthur as he unlocked his precious _baby_.

“Did you name your car, too?” Arthur teased him.

Alfred chuckled. “There's nothing abnormal about that!”

So, that was a yes.

Really, he didn't want to be trapped in his car. It felt far too personal, and the feeling of discomfort was already setting in when he reached for the door handle. The feeling only grew stronger when he sat down in the passenger seat and was swiftly welcomed by the smell of the alpha. Arthur scrunched his nose, hoping the man sitting next to him wouldn't notice. Was he so attached to an inanimate object that he had to scent every inch of it?

Alfred pulled out the lot, going a little faster than he needed to. Arthur watched Beautiful World shrink in the distance until it finally disappeared. The unexpected silence between them allowed Arthur to recount the day's events in his head. He was mostly focused on whatever had been going on in the office when he arrived and had to bite down his returning anger when their nasty words replayed fresh in his mind. The reminder of the last bit of conversation he overheard caused his mental gears to switch to the letter sitting in his kitchen.  _I don't even know what that letter is for! Don't be so fast to assume!_ Arthur decided it was best not to think about things at all for the moment.

With impeccable timing, Alfred turned on the radio, filling the car with wild screaming from a metal song. Arthur's hands flew up to cover his ears, cringing at the unbearable noise pounding in his eardrums.

“Augh! Sorry about that!” Alfred fumbled for the volume.

“If I go deaf, I'm blaming you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ive been incredibly stressed out lately so I apologize for any inconveniences that creates :’| Not to mention, I hit many snags while writing this two part chapter out. I split it in half (sort of) because it was growing quite long.


	5. A Day in Hell Pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This hasn't been beta read yet, but it will be in due time

Alfred was well known for a lot of _interesting_ traits of his. The most annoying and famous of them all was his motormouth, but at that moment, Alfred didn't have much interest in putting it to use. The only noise between the two came from some country song on the radio, allowing Arthur's mind to wonder off as he stared blankly at the passing buildings and cars. Faint thoughts of what sort of backward boss-employee relationship they had intruded his head.

Their ride continued in an extremely questionable silence until they arrived at their destination, marked by Alfred's applaud worthy parking job. Arthur eyed the building ahead of them and motioned at it with a limp wrist.

“I assumed we'd be checking out places outside.”

“Well,” Alfred started as he got out first, “that's what you get for assuming.”

Arthur grumbled and yanked the seat belt off. He had a point but still. Once out of the car, Arthur ran to catch up with the alpha. “The spring festival is pretty close. Why would businesses wait this late to get in?”

Alfred locked his car without looking back. “Dude, the festival won't be sneaking up around the corner on us.”

Doing things so last minute wasn't in Alfred's typical business fashion. Arthur didn't need a higher position in the company to at know that much about him, but he was acting typically calm mannered over it. If anything went wrong, Arthur could at least have something to feel smug about.

The first location Alfred wanted to look at was an empty building used mostly for hosting events. How fitting. The outside of the building was a faint yellow with a large, decorative banner hanging above the entry. The structure was only two floors high, but it's not like they would be needing anything bigger. Arthur hugged the notebook closer to his small frame as they entered and waited for the right opportunity to record the important details. Waiting for them just beyond the entrance was a tall, middle-aged man with a dark pinstripe suit. He greeted them with the type of smile that Arthur would expect to see on an untrustworthy car salesman. The fake smile faltered a bit when the older man noticed Arthur.

“Ah, I was expecting to see Toris.”

Arthur took notice of a hint of disappoint in the man's voice. He bit the corner of his bottom lip and kept whatever questions he had to himself.

“Nope! Arthur is with me today, Mr. Miller.” Alfred nodded his head toward him.

The name sounded weirdly familiar. Mr. Miller brushed a stray lock of brown hair out of his face, placing it back into its neat style. He adjusted his wide-rimmed glasses and gave Arthur an intensely calculating look. “Well, I just hope he doesn't give me any trouble like last time. Anyway, on to our tour!”

The sudden mood change practically gave Arthur whiplash. How did this man know Toris, and what did Arthur ever do to him? While the older alpha led them around, Arthur's focus wasn't on the well polished wooden floors or the uncovered windows letting sunlight pour in. Green eyes kept darting off the page he was writing on to eye Mr. Miller who never once looked back at him.

When they were upstairs checking out the balcony, Mr. Miller decided to engage in a more casual conversation with Alfred. Arthur kept his distance at one of the tables as he secretly listened in on another talk that had nothing to do with him.

“How's your old man been holding up?”

Alfred leaned against the ornate silver railing and shrugged. “He's been the same as usual.”

“No, I mean since your new hire.” Mr. Miller corrected himself.

Alfred and Arthur had the same long, aggravated sigh in reaction to the question. “Man, no one's ever gonna shut up about that will they?”

There was a dry chuckle from Mr. Miller. “Your uncle even wants to discuss the matter in private. You won't be getting off the leash anytime soon.”

“I haven't run the business into the ground.” Alfred bitterly spoke under his breath. “I had a meeting earlier and got chewed out for this crap. Even worst is that they threatened me with an ultimatum about Kiku.”

Mr. Miller cut straight to the chase, fixing Alfred with a challenging stare. “Are you going to fire him?”

Arthur could feel a spark of tension in the air. He looked at the other two from over the top of his notebook, wondering if they had forgotten he was there already.

“No! Of course not!” Alfred shouted. “Kiku hasn't given me any reason to, and I can't turn away someone so promising. Their threats aren't going to stop me.”

Mr. Miller smiled slightly. It was far more genuine even if it didn't last long. “I have faith in you to do the right thing. Now, let's move on to the rest.”

Arthur stood up and continued his job of jotting information down. Their trip concluded with a small walk around the park next to Mr. Miller's building. The numbers and letters flowed from Arthur's ballpoint pen without any meaning to the one writing them. He began wishing that he had heard all of Alfred's meeting so he wouldn't be left in the dark over what this-so-called ultimatum was. _Alfred is a bloke who wouldn't tell you anything even if he was dangling over a pit of lava about to fall to his death_ , Arthur mused to himself. After parting with the older alpha, they made their way to car with Arthur's eagerness on full display.

“Alfred, who was that man, and what did I ever do to him?” Arthur bit back a million other inquiries.

“I can't believe you don't remember the guy you yelled at that one time.” Alfred snorted, but Arthur was far from amused.

“I did _what_?!”

Alfred unlocked his car, grinning like the idiot he was. “Yup! It wasn't that recent of an event, but it wasn't like it happened when you started working for BW when my dad was here.”

“Yes, but-!”

Alfred stopped in front of his car to face Arthur. “You started getting defensive about something- that's what Natalya told me- and went off on him. That's it. As for who he is, he's been a reliable family friend for the past twenty years. So, needless to say, I'm glad you didn't yell at him again.”

With that said, Alfred got into his car, leaving Arthur to flip over the new knowledge and how he managed to forget someone like that. The honking of the horn followed by Alfred leaning out the window to tell Arthur to get in made him jump.

“S-stop that!” Arthur scrambled in the car, face red from embarrassment. “You must be so proud of me for having not said a word back there.”

His boss pulled away and sped off to their next location. “It certainly is better than the other option I have with you.”

There were countless moments where Arthur couldn't tell if Alfred was being genuinely mean or just looking to prod his buttons in the worst method of playfulness. “I would certainly enjoy you being silent over my other options.”

Alfred shot him an annoyed frown. Arthur returned an expression of exaggerated innocence. Testing the boundaries could be fun sometimes.

The rest of their locations included owners trying way too hard to suck up to Alfred while either ignoring Arthur or treating him like he was dirt under their shoes. The worst part of it was the beta couple that wanted to rent out a space for their event. Betas didn't even have anything that special going for them in society! Arthur huffed, assuming it was some weird plan to try to impress Alfred. However they planned for something so idiotic to work in the first place...

“I'm so glad that's finally over!” Alfred breathed out. “I had to put off lunch for that, and it took up too much time of my day.”

“We all know how you get when you aren't allowed to eat.” Arthur flipped through the pages of the notebook. “Can't have you of all people functioning on an empty stomach.”

“More like barely functioning.” Alfred said, clearly exasperated.

The car moved ahead in traffic and over the sounds of the city around them, Arthur heard the distinct noise of a stomach growling. Seconds later came another form of growling from Alfred's throat. “...Now, would be a great time to just let me go home-”

Alfred was quick to shut him down. Not like that was anything he wasn't used to. “Our day isn't over yet! After I stuff my face, we're heading out to talk to some other people who want to take part in the fair. It's only like three people for today so don't get too down about it.”

“Uh huh...” Arthur whined, tapping his fingernails on his thigh. “Hey. What am I supposed to do while you're eating half a restaurant?”

Alfred snorted. “You'll be accompanying me with this, too. Kind of a stupid question to ask.”

 _Joining you? To eat? Isn't that like a-_ “W-what?”

It was enough that he had to be his forced secretary for the day and sit in his car for far too long. Eating out with him- just the two of them- was just the cherry on the proverbial cake. Arthur knew the reason for the oddly sickly feeling churning in his stomach, but he had no intention of confronting something so godawful. Speaking of that, there was a lot he was avoiding today.

Alfred turned them down a street that held no familiarity to Arthur. “There's a place around here that my folks and I eat at sometimes. It's no big deal, really.”

That wasn't his problem. Although, considering how wealthy the Jones family appeared to be, it would likely be some top tier restaurant that Arthur could never afford to even look at.

“Also, I can pay for everything.” Alfred tacked on, far too casually.

Arthur whipped his head towards the alpha, forgetting everything he had been worry about before. For a brief second, Arthur feared Alfred had mind reading abilities and wanted to ease his fretting over money. “Absolutely not!”

“A guy tries to be nice and gets rejected.” Alfred shook his head and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

“I have my _own_ money, and I'll use it to buy what I want.” If Arthur had been standing up, he would have had his hands on his hips and stomped his foot to make his point clear.

Alfred didn't need such a display from the omega, however. “Suit yourself.”

That talk thankfully ended; only to give way to a new talk about the country station a certain alpha liked too much. Which only led to Alfred singing along to the millionth song about a cowboy working on his farm all day and loving his woman all night. Arthur cast his gaze at a random store to ignore the absurd American being a nuisance. _Don't encourage his antics_. Even though he was singing at the top of his lungs and matching every note of the singer's accent, Arthur felt the tiny seed of finding it all charming being planted deep in his gut. Before that seed could blossom into something more, Arthur considered jumping out of the window to escape.

Their drive to the restaurant of Alfred's choosing was shorter than Arthur expected. Which was definitely a blessing. Now, all he had to do was sit through a meal with him. Hopefully, the burger shop they were parked in front of didn't play country music. Wait. Burger shop? The name “Hummingbird Burger” was across the storefront in big, red letters outlined in black. Alfred was already getting out of the vehicle. He didn't turn around to make sure Arthur was doing the same.

“When he wants food, he's gotta have it...” Arthur whispered to himself.

When Arthur was at Alfred's side again, Alfred went through the routine of locking his car without looking back and marched inside with only one thing on his mind. Arthur followed him into the restaurant that was incredibly packed. He glanced over his shoulder to see the outside tables were full as well. The diner itself was furnished with blue and white striped seats and red tables covered in maroon polka dots. The flooring was the usual checkerboard style, and the lighting made the place look bright and lively. Strange how a burger joint looked more memorable than all the locations they had visited.

“This place looks too flashy.” Arthur commented.

Alfred gasped as though someone had just spat on his most prized position. He didn't get a chance to explain his reaction before Arthur walked right past him and up to the register to make his order. Nothing on the menu board would cost him an arm and a leg like he had assumed. Perfect. Nothing about the place looked that fancy anyway.

The two sat on the only free stools at the counter. Sharing a meal with Alfred wasn't everything he feared it to be. He should have known. He watched his boss ramble on about heaven knows what while wolfing down two very loaded burgers that were bigger than his own hands. Instead of trying to decode his words, Arthur lazily checked out the rest of the establishment and saw various team merchandise tacked to the walls along with an assortment of photographs of people he couldn't name even if he tried. They seemed important enough to have their pictures blown up and hung up. When Arthur turned back to Alfred, he caught the last second glimpse of him stealing one of his remaining fries.

“What do you think you're doing?!”

Alfred quickly shoved it in his mouth. “Well, you're not eating them.”

 _Fair point_. Arthur sipped his soda, tasting mostly melted ice cubes. “So, you said your family comes here? I'm not looking to pry or anything.”

Alfred wiped off his mouth with a nearby napkin and spun around in his seat to look at Arthur. “Yeah! This place has been around since I was a little squirt. Took me here after baseball games- even if I won or loss a game.”

Knowing personal information about your boss would probably be intensely awkward to some, but those sorts of barriers between them were removed years ago. “So, it's personal then.”

“That front booth used to be my favorite place to sit at.” Alfred pointed to the second booth on the left side of the door. “I actually once completely ruined the upholstery of it from trying to eat their beef challenge before I was even barely ready for such a thing. Good times. Well, except for the part where my dad got pissed, and Mathew was super grossed out by me.”

“How charming~” Arthur wasn't looking to say that out loud.

“There's actually a picture of me on the wall over here if you look hard enough. I've always been a big fan of making history, no matter how small of big.” The alpha smiled proudly.

How did this fool manage to be so alluring in the worst possible ways. Arthur was swift to change the topic. “Like making history with Kiku?”

It wasn't something he wanted to really bring up again, but he couldn't stop himself. It was hard to tell how asking that question made Alfred feel, and he started to wonder if he had killed the other man's buzz of walking down memory lane.

“When it eventually pays off, I'll be happier than ever.” His smile didn't fault in the slightest.

“Hmm...” Arthur shifted on the stool's leather cushion and awkwardly cleared his throat. “About that ultimatum-?”

With the two turned around to face the front of the restaurant, they had a perfect view of outside. Their perfect view included all the people walking past, and two of them looked extremely familiar. Alfred's eyes were glued to a long, pale blue scarf blowing ever so slightly in the wind. Alongside the man wearing it was a much smaller person dressed in a red jacket. Alfred didn't look back at England until they were out of sight.

“Was that...?” Arthur asked, already knowing the answer to the question.

“It sure was.” His voice sounded a bit deeper than normal. “Ivan.”

They left after leaving a tip- provided by Alfred who wanted no fuss over who would be paying it. Alfred gave their short-lived topic that was Ivan no further attention. Arthur figured that would be the logical thing for him to do. He now seemed even more focused on getting through the rest of their day together. Alfred reached behind him to take some papers out of his bag and listed off the rest off their destinations for the day. Arthur's mind was elsewhere, and he only picked up on a few names of places he frequented himself.

“Hey, Alfred.” Arthur softly called out to him as they pulled off. “Um... About that thing with Kiku...”

“What thing?”

“N-nothing.” Arthur immediately changed his mind.

“Alrighty then.”

Just when he thought it would be too uncomfortable for them to continue talking to one another, Alfred brought up one of the businesses. Arthur half listened to him make mention of never having dealt with them before and not knowing what they'll be like. Arthur decided to keep it to himself that he knew exactly what to expect. Alfred would be like a fish out of water around there, and as it evil as it might've have looked to an outsider, Arthur wanted to see the alpha flounder about in confusion. He needed a little amusement right now, anyway.

Luckily, it was their first stop after leaving the burger joint. Arthur smiled smugly to himself as he was the first one out of the car and waiting for Alfred on the sidewalk.

“You've done good biting your tongue lately.” Alfred complimented him after shutting his door.

 _For too long_ , Arthur internally groaned, _I won't need to for much longer_.

Alfred stood back and took in the store's design. Arthur leaned against the store window and watched him. Primal Sweets was a hot spot for omegas thanks to the selection of foods with special ingredients that aided their hormones and heats. Arthur had made many unfortunate trips to the store to pick up certain items. With his approaching heat, the bakery's goods looked even more appealing than ever.

“Everything is so pink.” Alfred observed, voice deflated and full of disappointment.

“What? Expecting something with more edge to it?” Arthur asked, already heading inside.

Alfred was quick on the defense. “The name _primal_ didn't exactly prepare me for pink and frills.”

The inside wasn't any better. Arthur could easily accept that the choice in décor really drove home the main purpose of the bakery. It always rubbed higher dynamics the wrong way, but a bakery didn't need to carry a strong, dizzying musk or be full of whatever else it is alphas were into. A few customers gave Alfred surprised looks that went completely unnoticed. They approached the long front counter, and the young woman behind it gave them one of the few honest smiles he had seen all day. It was truly a sight for sore eyes.

Lili beamed brightly at Arthur upon instantly recognizing him. She was a familiar face in the store, and one that had helped him out often. She was also one of the sweetest people he had ever met. He noticed the ribbon in her shoulder-length blonde hair was a different one with as much pink as the rest of the store.

“Mr. Jones? What are you doing here?” She looked at him; big, green eyes widened even more at how puzzled she was.

With just one peek over at him, Arthur could easily see the gears in his head turning, trying to figure out how she already knew who he was.

Arthur answered the unspoken question. “This is Lili. She's Vash's little sister.”

A tiny grin replaced her confused frown. “I should have introduced myself first.”

“It's no problem.” Arthur waved her comment away. “We're here to speak with your boss.”

Lili nodded and stood up from her stool to go into a door behind her. Meanwhile, Alfred was busy inspecting every dessert and pastry around. “This stuff has weird names and everything smells like my aunt.”

Arthur chuckled at the comparison. “Is your aunt an omega?”

“Excuse me, Mr. Jones. He'll see you now.” Lili called to them.

Alfred gave her a thumbs up and replied to Arthur. “Yes, she is.”

Sebástian Artigas was Lili's boss and an omega. Arthur had gone there so much he managed to know even the owner. At the very least, this only provided more ground for Alfred to have the upper hand. As long as Alfred said nothing about how he was speaking for both of them, things would be fine. Mr. Artigas's office was cramped and smelled like a river in a forest. Despite the calm and easy-going expression Mr. Artigas had, he knew that the presence of an alpha was distressing. Why would he even bother doing business with an alpha to begin with?

“Mr. Jones, I'm glad you came.” The two briefly shook hands. “I didn't think you'd be willing to do business with me.”

In any other situation, an omega would have assumed that the alpha was looking to get something just for themselves, but Mr. Artigas had nothing Alfred would want.

“Why wouldn't I want to do business with you?” Alfred furrowed his brows.

Mr. Artigas shrugged. “Alphas aren't normally interested in this kind of work.”

“Well, I could be your first true alpha customer and host you at the fair.”

Alfred was so clueless and innocent on the matter. Arthur didn't know if he should continue to find this amusing or fear for Alfred's intelligence. It was a wonder how he could manage to be so dense.

Mr. Artigas gave a cautious smile, pushing his glasses up. “If you're willing.”

Their business deals went on with Alfred being none the wiser and Arthur cutting in when the timing felt right. Through the lengthy negotiating. Arthur learned that the Uruguayan omega was looking to bring more attention to his bakery so he could expand, and how helpful it would be to have the good word of someone like Alfred baking him up. It was something logical, and Arthur wanted to do nothing more but help him out.

“I've never spoken with any omega business owners around here.” Alfred happily stated. “Almost didn't know there were any.”

On one hand, Arthur had to give Alfred credit for not belittling Mr. Artigas the entire time. Yet, Alfred was coming on way too strong at the same time. There was also no reason to go and say something like that out loud either. His own brother was an omega, but he acted like he didn't have a clue on how to handle them in far too many instances.

“Ah...” the other omega lowered himself in his chair, “It can be difficult in my position. That's for certain.”

This demeanor wasn't entirely unusual of the hazel-eyed omega. Arthur was far more accustomed to him being kinder and acting a tad flamboyant, yes, but there were the times he got shaky when dealing with those above him. He faintly recalled Lili telling him about some intimidating alphas being heavily attracted to him.

Alfred whistled. “I can only imagine.”

“Surely.” Arthur said dryly. He turned the notebook over in his hands and traced random designs on the cover with his finger. “So, _Mr. Jones_ , if you want Mr. Artigas's business, don't you think you should sample his food?”

The other omega's eyes flew wide open. “Ah! If you want to, I strongly suggest being careful of what you choose!”

Alfred gave him a wry grin. “Why? Is something around here laced with drugs?”

“Um... not quite, but you may have noticed that we mostly cater to a certain dynamic. This means that a lot of what we sell isn't safe for consumption by... your kind.” Mr. Artigas explained.

Arthur closely observed Alfred's face for the roller coaster of emotions it revealed. First, he had to take a minute to put two and two together. Then, his jaw slowly dropped, lips forming a small 'o' shape. After that, his eyebrows mostly disappeared under his bangs. _Here it comes_.

“OH! I- How did I miss something like that?!” Alfred snatched the papers from his bag, desperately hoping to find where that was stated.

“Huh?!” Mr. Artigas jumped out of his chair. “Did I forget to mention that in my reply to your ad?”

Alfred did the same. “Its fine! All good!”

“I suppose you want to leave now.” Arthur guessed, feeling bad for the small display of idiocy from his employer.

There was something Arthur couldn't name written on Alfred's face as his shock wore off. “No way! If this company is about cultures, then I can add dynamic exploration to that too.”

“Huh...?” Arthur's high of wanting to laugh at anything that happened in the past minutes dissolved instantly.

Mr. Artigas was speechless as well. He sat back down at the same time Alfred did and waited for where this was going.

Alfred smoothed out his suit jacket and inhaled. “What am I saying is, I'll except your business.”

A smile broke out on Mr. Artigas's face that only remained the whole time they went through signing paperwork and going over details. Arthur's plan felt like it landed somewhere between failure and success. Maybe he should just focus on being glad Alfred's outburst wasn't any worst. The two left the store with Arthur carrying two long purple boxes. He tucked them away on the backseat and returned to the passenger's side of the car. Once they were ready, Alfred drove away.

“With the smell of those, I'm really going to need to clean my car now.”

Arthur grimaced. “Quiet, you.”

“What are those anyway?” The teasing tone of his voice was completely gone.

Arthur lit up with a rare smile. “Those? Those are just something that helps me calm down. They're quite useful for reducing stress. A mix of different herbs in the cakes is what does the trick.”

Alfred stayed quiet for a bit. “Those stupid alphas are going to come for my throat when they find out I accepted that bakery.”

“What alphas?” Arthur knew damn well what Alfred was talking about, but it wouldn't hurt to get more out of him by playing dumb.

“I'll tell you later.”

He was actually going to let him in on that? Arthur wouldn't dare ruin the opportunity and decided it was best to not prod the subject any further for the time being.

_______________________________________________________________________

If Arthur had been asked to describe the following visits, he would use the phrase “intensely boring.” They had been the usual run of the mill negotiations that left Arthur nodding off to sleep at some points. Alfred had caught him in the act more than once, and he didn't look particularly pleased but not too angry either. He had filled half the notebook with more than enough details about every place they went to. Most of it was deemed useless by Arthur once they returned to the parking lot of Beautiful World. He didn't even ask why he needed to record every other thing said to him.

Arthur stared at the numbers on the touchscreen in the car. Along with the lamp posts outside, they were the only two sources of light offered to them with the car almost shut completely off. The dull glow reflected in Alfred's glasses, making him look unusually serious.

“You're not allowed to tell anyone else about this. I doubt you would since you value your job and all that, but you know what I mean.” Alfred warned him through a slightly clenched jaw. He didn't sound as pensive as he looked, but maybe that was just because they were mostly in the dark.

Arthur swallowed. “I'll keep my mouth closed.”

“Those dumbasses said I have to fire Kiku or else, they'll start some shitty rumors about us.” Alfred had the bizarre skill of being seemingly angry about something, yet also leaving his feelings completely unclear. “Said they'll release news of a scandal that will fuck us all over.”

Arthur was having a hard time searching for words. “But there's no scandalous activity to report on?”

“If I don't fire him by the end of next week, they'll spread a rumor that Kiku is sleeping with me to keep his job.” Alfred wrapped his arms around himself. “Just thinking about that makes me want to rip my skin off. Its so disgusting!”

Now, Arthur was at a complete loss for words. Alfred 

didn't bother waiting for anything he had to say. “Also, don't tell anybody about us seeing Ivan.”

It took a while for Arthur to realize he had everything he thought he heard right. Once everything was linked together correctly, Arthur nervously nodded at Alfred. Some things just needed to stay burried. He could understand that. There was an aching feeling to comfort the alpha that was hastily destroyed.

“Anywho, that nightmare is over so you're free to go.” Alfred's Hollywood, movie star smile returned.

Those words would have been a miracle to heard hours ago when the sun was still out. Arthur handed over the notebook and pulled his beloved comfort food from the back. “Don't do anything stupid.”

“By the way, my car's name is Elliot.”

Those were the last words they exchanged before Arthur got out and walked away. It would do him some good to find a ride home and forget any of the jarring events that took place. Everything had happened much faster than Arthur could keep up with or even think about.

_______________________________________________________________________

The late night buses were something Arthur never trusted, but he had no choice that night. He arrived home, more than ready to crumble to pieces. Alfred was one of the most exhausting people he had ever met. He deserved the finest award for putting up with his antics. Arthur walked into the kitchen to put his sweets away when the ignored letter caught his attention. He could stand to put it off for another day. It really didn't matter.

In the blink of an eye, Arthur was sitting down, carelessly tearing open the letter. Even if he was opening it, he didn't owe them anything the letter entailed. Although, it would take the most clueless person in the world to not know what it was. A letter that had been neatly folded up three times slipped out of the letter and on to the table with a gentle thud. Arthur 

picked it up, unfolded it, and braced himself for the worst. The silver ink on the parchment paper gleamed at him menacingly.

“Dearest Arthur,” he read from the letter, fake gagging at the word usage, “in a few months, Archibald Kirkland and Isadora Taylor will finally be tying the knot.”

Arthur stopped to not only actually gag at the word usage but to also let a certain realization sink in. Since he had started living in America on his own- in an attempt to escape a family he never really felt entirely close to most of the time- he had received multiple letters from them about different family events back home. There were phone calls as well, but those started to wane as the months away turned into years. Perhaps, they had given up on reaching out to him. He swallowed dryly at that. It wasn't their fault. The most recent time he answered was only a couple of months ago. His parents had asked for his address and well... None of that was the true realization he was thinking about.

Arthur thought back to the letters he received over time. Specifically, those informing him of his other brothers' weddings. With this being the third one, he now knew that all of his siblings had found mates before him. Arthur continued reading the rest of the letter, almost none of the words sinking in. Once completed, he let the thick paper fall to the table with the last phrase “plus one is mandatory” ringing through his head. It had been written at the very bottom with contact information, glaring him in the face. None of the other letters had said this. Was this some sort of plot to get him to finally show up at one of those cursed events?! It was the only conclusion that made sense to him.

“July fourth, huh?” He snorted at the date. “Sure are telling people way ahead of time.”

He pushed the letter away and rose up from the table. As he went to work on the task of putting away the cakes, Arthur felt an odd feeling wash over him. It wasn't a sense of relief at finally sucking it up and reading the letter he didn't plan on responding to. No. It was something else. With his heat coming in two days, Arthur blamed the sensation on that. He may have never felt it during any other heat, but Arthur didn't ponder for too long on that.

Like with everything else, he knew full well what was to blame for this. Spending so much time with a heat coming close was a dumb move any omega could make. Stupid hormones and smells would make the body react and do even more stupid stuff. Arthur tossed the empty boxes in the trashcan. The smell of Alfred's car- and subsequently Alfred himself- was all over his clothes. Arthur despised it so much.

“I'll just burn these.” He declared. “Sunday is going to be a preparation day. Saturday was supposed to be free day. Stupid Alfred.”

He could already envision tomorrow. Memories of today flooding his thoughts and distracting him from his necessary to-do list. The back of his head was pounding already. He would properly worry about one thing at a time after he spent the next few days locked away from the rest of the world in deep, physical pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be in the POV of Lovino. Feels weird to do that when Kiku hasn't met him yet but that'll change soon


	6. Unwanted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long. Things have been incredibly stressful for me lately, and my health has been meh.

Lovino dragged himself down the stairs of the house he shared with his grandfather. Since the old man worked as an incredibly well paid banker, he wasn’t around in the early morning hours or the afternoon, but that was only on weekdays. It was Sunday, and for all he knew or even cared, Grandpa Julius was probably out flirting with the women who worked at the museum— it was one of his beloved “hobbies.” Maybe he was even hanging out with that terrifying German bastard. Whatever it was, Lovino was content to cherish what time he had alone in the house.

Thanks to having a job that didn’t need him until noon, Lovino had time to sleep in without any guilt. Thanks to having a job as a waiter, oh, the most  _fucking_ _prestigious_ lounge in the city, Lovino didn’t have to take home any business work or attend some shitty meetings like his damn annoying little brother did. No, he didn’t have to put up with crap like that— but what he did deal with was much worse. What he dealt with was the fucking horror that are _alphas_. Lovino’s skin crawled and his stomach flipped just thinking about them. Flamenco Lounge was incredibly popular with those ungodly heathens, and he was always stuck serving their ungrateful, needy asses. Who would have guessed that being a waiter could come with so many hefty pros and cons. But Lovino had his secrets to make the job go by smoother. Really, it was his secret for life in general.

After grabbing a glass from the kitchen cabinet, Lovino went back upstairs to his personal bathroom. Kept well hidden in a deep corner of the closet, there was a flap in the wall, that once opened, revealed a stash of medication and what could be mistaken for perfume. Lovino crouched down to retrieve the box and clear spray bottle from its hiding spot. Turning towards the large, frameless mirror pinned above the sink, he rubbed at the spot where his shoulder and neck joined one another.

“Shit. I have to get more of this next week.” Lovino whined when he opened the slim package to discover only seven little blue pills remained.

He tore open the foil and filled the cup with water from the sink. The medication for Lovino’s— unfortunately— omega body wasn’t anything one could find over the counter or even get a prescription for. No hospital, let alone a corner store, would ever dare to supply these suppressants. They were powerful enough to not only block out a heat but also completely hide the user’s dynamic. It was a big reason that made the pills so illegal to begin with. Of course, it didn’t help that it wasn’t really… approved. He didn't need some dumb corporation to test what he knew worked for his needs. The perfume was another highly illegal substance. The murky blue liquid wasn’t something from the nightmarish perfume department in the mall that was probably scented with piss from some exotic animal. It was a concoction of alpha pheromones and other scents that were personalized to the wearer. His specific bottle carried the scent of something strong and powerful like a bull or an ox. Really, anything was better than his natural smell; whatever that smell even was anymore.

Naturally, as one would assume with illegal medications, there were some dangerous side effects. Lovino wasn’t a damn fool, however. He knew what risks he faced taking them, but he didn’t give the slightest shit about them as long as they did their job. They made his life a little easier. Being an omega came with too many societal standards and expectations. At least if he assumed the position of an alpha, people were far less likely to give him hell over his attitude and general behavior. Even if his slender and stupidly _short_ body didn’t match the average alpha. His family had already believed him to be infertile or something else that basically translated to a useless bastard in his mind. Their opinions meant nothing. Not even Grandpa Julius and Feliciano’s, who were already aware of the situation happening under the rest of their family's noses. In truth, their understanding of what Lovino was doing wasn’t that broad.

He choked back memories of the argument that happened between him and his grandfather a few days ago, and how he had overheard a phone call between Feliciano and grandpa. Feliciano was supposed to be visiting today. It would be easy to put up with his presence as long as that stupid, musclehead husband of his wasn’t with him. Lovino already knew what Feliciano would be coming over for: to discuss just whatever in the hell he was doing to his body. Lovino shoved both items back into the hole in the closet wall and returned to his room to finish getting ready for the day.

_______________________________________________________________________

Flamenco Lounge was as busy as it always was in the afternoon hours. Customers chatted quietly amongst themselves under the low, warm lighting while waiters and waitresses bustled between the booths and tables. The lounge carried a strong atmosphere of “We cater to rich asshats who are dressed in thousand dollar suits you only wear once.” It was the kind of place Lovino wouldn’t eat at on his own accord. Despite all the cool and neutral colors intending to make the setting look more mellowed out and relaxing,  the place still looked stuffy and stuck-up to him.

Lovino shuffled across the marble-patterned floor, being careful to not drop any of the dishes on his tray. He stopped at the appropriate table where a couple sat and placed their respective plates in front of them. They said their thanks, smiling brightly. Lovino could only manage a quick, half-smile back. He placed his tray under his arm, ready to return to the kitchen when he was stopped by someone at a booth against the wall.

Two men who appeared to be around his age were seated. Their physical appearances were similar enough to give Lovino the impression they could be twins, but he of all people shouldn't be so quick to assume- people seemed to somehow get that same idea from him and Feliciano. The one with shorter hair had his hand raised to get his attention. The customer was looking at Lovino like he was stupid, and Lovino was highly tempted to return the face.

“Ah, forgive me for bothering you, but you look familiar…?”

 _I don’t know. Do I?_ Lovino approached them and crossed his arms over his chest. “You really shouldn’t be bothering someone while they’re working.”

He only smiled a bit and laughed. “I know, but you just look a lot like someone I work with.”

Lovino frowned. Then, the gears in his head started turning. The man sitting before him did look familiar, but in a vague sort of way when one’s only seen someone in passing and didn’t care to commit their appearance to memory. On the well polished wooden table was a stapled packet of papers reading **_Beautiful World_**   in large print. Lovino’s face gradually formed into one of realization and shock as he looked back over at the man. This wasn’t any random customer sent from above to annoy him. It was—

“Antonio?” Lovino questioned.

A larger smile spread across his tan face. “And you’re Lovino, right? Feli’s older brother?”

 _Oh, no. Oh god, no_. Lovino looked at his dark, curly hair and jade green eyes glimmering with some sort of joy. He was going to commit these details to memory in case they ever ran into each other again- though with such a flimsy connection between them, they shouldn’t have any real reason to. Who in the hell would be remotely happy about meeting the relative of someone they worked with? He had always believed Feliciano was everyone’s sweetheart. They were  too wrapped up in everything about his brother to even spare Lovino a second glance. This bastard had better not believe he was anything like Feliciano. 

“Yeah, I’m that idiot’s brother. Unfortunately…” Lovino grimaced as he spoke sourly. “Why do you care?”

That idiotic smile that only a true bastard could keep steady didn’t fall; not even a little. “We’ve never truly met each other before, but I’ve seen you a couple of times around the campus. Feliciano talks about you sometimes, too. Actually, I've always wanted to meet you.”

There were no words to describe whatever Lovino was feeling. Was it confusion? Awe? Disgust? A combination? Whatever it was, Lovino knew without a doubt that he wasn’t very pleased with this practical stranger’s interest in him. Any combination of words he could say in response either died in his throat or jumbled into a clusterfuck in his brain. This damned idiot really knew how to tick him off already.

In his own mind, it went without saying that if Feliciano spoke about him to his co-workers, it was most likely something terrible. This man must have had an awful idea of what kind of person he is. Why else would he be all smiles and pleasantries? Lovino only further believed he really didn’t know who he was messing with.

“Well, here we are. Now, hurry up and order something before I give you some random shit from the trash.” Lovino’s voice was low enough to prevent anyone else around from hearing him, but there was still a threatening edge to it.

Antonio’s companion looked shocked by the small threat which made Lovino smirk a bit, but Antonio himself was as unphased as ever. Lovino decided right then and there that the only thing that could break through his obviously thick skull was a sledgehammer.

“Of course!” Antonio announced cheerfully and finally, as if the tiniest of miracles had happened, gave him their orders so he could be freed from this nonsense.

Lovino left their table without a word. On his way to the kitchen, a realization hit him across the back of his head. He hadn’t even asked if they were already being waited on by someone else. Lovino walked faster, grumbling under his breath about the idiot bastard he had just met the whole way. He was _definitely_ going to spit in his food for wasting his time and making his job just a little more difficult. On impulse, Lovino gave a hurried glance over his shoulder to see Antonio was watching him. The sudden meeting of their eyes, however, forced the alpha to turn back to his lookalike.

“Stupid…”

No one at work was usually interested in him like this. No one was usually interested in him at all. After dropping off the order, Lovino began to inwardly fret over the possibility that his real hormones may have been leaking out, and that’s what had Antonio so enraptured by him.  Lovino always feared the chances of that happening even with the pills. The likelihood wasn’t remotely high enough to be truly alarming, but it was a persistent thought. Another table by the bastard and his partner had opened up and Lovino’s job was calling to him. Lovino didn’t need this enormous distraction that kept stealing glances at him as though didn’t have fucking peripheral vision. The only thing that would make this unfortunate encounter any good would be if they left a massive tip. That would be the only of apology that mattered to him.

When alerted to their completed order, Lovino saw a quick glimpse of his boss standing amongst the bustling kitchen employees. Her normally bright visage had become incredibly displeased, and in the few seconds he was looking her way, it felt as though that sour frown was directed at him. Lovino couldn’t think of any good reason for his boss to be suddenly upset with him. While he wasn’t always some plastic, fake as hell waiter who gave every customer a winning smile, but with how long he had been at work that day, Lovino would argue that he had been pretty kind to all of the people he waited on. Lovino mulled over this while bringing the tray of food over to his new least favorite table, blatantly ignoring the enormous grin he received from Antonio. Lovino quickly turned away without a word.

He wasn’t given a chance to check if he was needed anywhere else. His boss had appeared suddenly to drag him back into the kitchen. Lovino dropped off the empty tray on a random counter space, clumsily tripping over his own feet  in his rush to find out what was so wrong. Mrs.Elizaveta Héderváry caught him by his shoulders to help him keep his balance, letting go when Lovino straightened himself out.

“What was that about back there?!” She quietly demanded.

After a few seconds of long silence from Lovino as he realized the obvious, he put on an innocent facade. “You mean with the table you just pulled me away from?”

“Yes!” She slapped her palm against her face. “That man works with my husband. It was his first time here, and I didn’t want him to have a bad experience.”

Mrs.Héderváry’s irritation was releasing a bitter scent that was only mildly upsetting Lovino. He observed the waves of her light brown hair instead of looking directly at her face and attempted to focus on the new information she had just provided him with. He was pretty familiar with her occasionally bitchy spouse. What did she even see in that man? Lovino capped off those thoughts with being thankful that he didn’t work at Beautiful World. He returned his attention to his boss. He amused the idea of telling her that Antonio didn’t mind the way he had been treated at all. If anything, it was quite the opposite.

"What do you need to impress _him_ for?” Lovino asked instead, perhaps a bit too bluntly.

She peeked at him through a space in between her fingers and lowered her hand. “Look, I know we’re both alphas, and I don’t need to rely on anyone to keep this place running. That isn’t my main concern.”

Lovino furrowed his brows. “Then, what?”

Instead of answering him, she gave him an arguably well deserved warning. “You need to start being nicer to others. I get complaints about you more than you realize.”

This was a shock to him. The irrational fear that he could single handedly destroy her business washed over him in an instant. He felt a little guilty even though nothing bad had happened yet. Mrs.Héderváry was one of the few good alphas he knew, and it went without saying that she was even better for allowing him to keep his job despite his attitude that everyone else hated. Grandpa Julius was always one to remind him of his strange luck, as if it was something he had to be reminded to be grateful for.

The short alpha’s voice softened to an almost motherly tone that Lovino only ever heard directed at him. “Save the irritation for something after work okay, sweetie? And if someone is giving you trouble, let me handle it.”

Lovino searched her eyes for signs of sincerity. His tight jaw loosened as he licked his dry lips. He didn’t need his damn grandfather to remind him of one of the best things in his life. "Yes..." Lovino breathed out.

She smiled warmly at him, giving him a firm pat on his shoulder and turned him around to send him back out onto the floor. He awkwardly rubbed at the nape of his neck, purely out of habit. There were very few people who could make Lovino feel bad about something he had done. Yet, at the same time, he felt like being so harsh to certain customers was what they truly deserved. Plus, it was a great way to protect himself from anything potentially happening. For all the care his superior clearly showed him- and it certainly had taken months before Lovino was willing to accept anything positive from an alpha, especially one in charge of him- he wasn’t feeling so quick to tell her his own take on the issue. He could handle himself just fine.

Much to his pleasure, Antonio and friend didn’t bother him the rest of their time eating. When they were finished and ready to pay, Lovino was feeling more than happy to get them the hell out of the lounge. Not happy enough to smile politely in their general direction, however. He decided it would be best for himself if he spared them the full brunt of his annoyance. Antonio handed Lovino a credit card covered in cartoon tomatoes with faces displaying various emotions. Lovino decided that it was the absolute worst design he had ever seen.

“The food was amazing! I should come here more often.” Antonio happily stated.

Lovino hid the grinding of his teeth behind the plastic card.

Surprisingly, his look-a-like finally had something to say in front of him. The other man snorted and tipped his head towards Lovino. “If that’s the kind of thing you’re into…”

The comment felt like it was begging for a snappy response  _What is that supposed to mean, bastard?!_ or _You don’t need to so damn cryptic, you son of a bitch!_ Maybe even a series of confused arm flailing motions would be useful at that moment.

Antonio chuckled but sent the other a dirty look. Lovino interrupted their weird interactions by requesting their receipt. He returned to hand over the idiotic credit card and receipt to the big idiot who bid him an unnecessary parting.

“I’ll tell Feli I saw you today!”

“Yeah, sure…” Lovino averted his gaze to examine the soft shadows across the floor. He was going to get an earful of this bullshit. 

“Lovino!” He nearly jumped out of his damn skin. Dumitru, busboy and fellow employee that Lovino just _adored_ working with, was standing beside him. He was clearing off the table when he stopped to hand over a wad of folded bills to Lovino. “I believe this is yours! Looks like they left you a lot.”

There was a short-lived need to question how he appeared so fast but paid it no mind, taking the money from Dumitru with a quick jerk. He paged through the bills. Fifty-five dollars. Only two thoughts reigned in his head as he gawked at the cash: ‘ _Antonio might be a bastard, but at least he tips well’_ and ‘ _Antonio must be a rich fucker if  can throw down money like it’s no big deal.’_

Dumitru leaned forward and brushed some of his hair away from his eyes. “They didn’t order anything fancy did they? There’s not a lot of dishes here either. Were you extra kind to customers for once?”

Lovino shoved the money into his pocket and stepped back. It was the largest tip he had ever gotten. “That’s none of your business! Do your work and let me do my own.”

As he walked away from the nosy busboy, Lovino had every intention of showing off what Antonio left for him. He didn’t have any real proof it was directly Antonio’s doing, but from what he learned about him in less than an hour, Antonio was stupid and enjoyed their first meeting way too much. That was enough proof for him.

_______________________________________________________________________

The rest of his workday had gone by in thea usual boring fashion. There was nothing noteworthy outside of… _that guy_. Other than that, it was perfectly fine in Lovino’s standards. However, he had made the fatal mistake of forgetting that Antonio’s last words. Lovino stepped off the evening bus and walked into his home at exactly ten fifteen. As he stepped inside and tossed his keys on the table, he could hear the bubbly laughter of his little brother floating from another room in the house. Lovino clutched the doorknob so hard that if he had any physical strength worth speaking of, he might have dented the smooth, polished metal. He slammed the door shut with a slight growl.

In all his time spent tending to other people’s needs, he had forgotten something of even greater importance. Feliciano was here to talk about the non-existent legality of what he was involved in. He thought back to what he had been doing that morning, rubbing at his neck before swiftly pulling his hand away. Turning around and heading back out with some pisspoor excuse to escape his sibling was a very attractive idea at the moment.

“Oh! Lovi’s home! I’ll have to call you back, Ludwig!” Ah. Too late now.

“Talking to your stupid _Luddy_ , huh?” Lovino sneered as he removed his uniform vest and bowtie.

Feliciano emerged from the living room with a face that didn’t match the cheery tone he was talking in. He visibly swallowed. Then, jumped into a topic that really needed zero attention brought to it. “Antonio said he saw you today.”

The other omega had a forced smile that Lovino was more than ready to shoot down. He walked past Feliciano, into the living room, and took a seat on the wide couch. “Yeah, what’s your point?”

Lovino watched him purse his lips and shift from foot to foot. Feliciano was certainly being exceptionally stupid and weird tonight. "He really took a liking to you."

There was a sudden strike of electricity in Lovino’s brain at those words. This wasn’t news to him, but there seemed to be hidden implications in the other’s statement. Lovino forced himself to confront the topic calmly. “He’s an idiot alpha who gave me a bigger tip than necessary. What else is there?”

To Lovino’s delight, it was becoming more and more obvious that Feliciano didn’t know how to talk about this. There was nothing to be said about any of this anyway. “Well, he doesn’t know you’re an omega.”

Lovino quickly turned towards Feliciano who had sat down on the far end of the couch at some point when Lovino wasn’t paying attention. He narrowed his eyes. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Feliciano sighed, toying with the loose threads of his jacket. Lovino had come to despise many aspects of his younger sibling. The way he treaded so lightly around certain sensitive topics as though he was dealing with fragile glass was one of them. There was something else that Lovino had picked up on since they were children who shared a room together. Feliciano only acted in such a way when dealing with him. Whether it be hiding the fact he broke one of the few trophies Lovino ever got from school, or lying to him about what their own family thinks of him. Lovino had always wished that part of him would die off as he grew up.

“He thinks you’re an alpha.”

That one sentence sliced through the air and brought a feeling of pride to Lovino. The pills and spray were working just as they should be. Any fears he had formed earlier that day melted away in a snap. “Perfect. I don’t see what the deal is.”

“Lovi…” Feliciano shook his head, exasperated. “That’s not a good thing. What you do isn’t a good thing.”

Lovino’s joy over tricking the bastard died just as quickly as his previous suspicions had. “I do this for a reason you wouldn’t understand!”

Feliciano jumped when Lovino snapped at him. “Can you please just tell me?!”

Feliciano could never bring himself down to Lovino’s level. What would a well treated omega know about hating one’s own dynamic? _You’re too stupid to understand._

“Look,” his brother began, “if you don’t want to talk talk about that specifically, I won’t make you, but you know grandpa will make you at some point!”

“Like I give a damn-”

“Ahem.”

Lovino stopped himself short when his eyes turned towards the muscular figure wearing a dark gray suit a few steps behind the couch. _Speak of the devil_. Their grandfather stood in the entryway to the living room. Grandpa Julius must have quietly snuck in, leaving Lovino to assume that the perfect timing was apart of his plan. Feliciano followed his gaze and greeted the older man with a small wave. Lovino didn’t refrain from any rude, well deserved gestures. He grimaced and looked at a random shelf across from him, eyeing some stupid trinket hidden away behind the plexiglass door. Being in the same room as them was making him sick to his stomach while simultaneously grating on every nerve in his body.

“Lovino,” Grandpa Julius began in a firm, commanding voice that he only ever used on him, “I’ll just cut to the chase on this one.”

“Thank the heavens you aren’t planning on wasting anymore of my time.” Lovino muttered bitterly under his breath.

There was no acknowledgement of the comment. “You need to quit giving shady people your business.”

It wasn’t as harsh of an opener as he was expecting, and Lovino found the tension in his body lessening. If only slightly. He peered at his grandfather from the corner of his eye. “Is that all you have to say?”

Julius walked further into the room and stood in front of Lovino. The bitter scent that Elizabeta had been producing earlier was nothing compared to the smell coming from his grandpa. This one was even stronger than the scent radiating from him during their previous argument a few days ago. Lovino was more familiar with this smell than he’d ever dare to say out loud. For every time Lovino acted like the massive disappointment others saw him as, this powerful scent would find find its goddamn way into his nostrils. No amount of pills could completely hold back the need to cower in fear and bend to his will to make his grandfather stop being this tired of his antics and so visibly enraged with him. To make matters worse, his grandpa wasn’t the only lucky bastard alpha who had this power over him. It was in an omega’s nature to do this solely for self preservation. Feliciano was even trembling. His animosity toward the highest dynamic only grew more.

“ _Is that all you have to say_?” Grandpa Julius repeated like he was getting too old to hear properly. “How many times do I have to tell you that I’m doing this for your own good?!”

“Please, Lovino!” Feliciano had gotten closer to Lovino and was clutching his shirt sleeve, desperation oozing from him. “We don’t know what could happen to you if you keep using that stuff!”

Lovino pulled Feliciano off of him in one swift motion and pretended as though he weren’t sinking back into the couch cushions in a weak move to get away from them. If those fucking pills didn’t kill him, surely these two would be the end of him. “I’ve been on the damn things for years! You both know that! And look at me! I’m still perfectly fucking fine!”

Feliciano whimpered. “They’re outlawed for a reason-!”

“I’ve been doing some research of my own into this.” His grandfather’s voice was calm and steady, but in one of the most terrifying ways. "I'm coming close to finding an answer."

“Why are you telling me this shit?” Lovino gulped.

"Because when I find out the source of them, you'll get in big trouble." Julius' nostrils flared. "I'll turn you in to the right people myself."

Lovino chewed on his bottom lip. His eyebrows were drawn down tight in anger. He was being ganged up on,  possibly threatened. He silently praised himself for choosing a damn good hiding spot, but there were new anxieties surfacing about what could happen if it wasn’t as good as he believed it to be. His grandfather would have an easier time finding the source and really giving him hell over his decisions.

“You could end up in the hospital or worse!” Feliciano was on the verge of those annoying fat tears he always cried in distress. “What if you trick the wrong person into believing you’re an alpha?!”

“Cut that shit out with the fucking what if scenarios!” Lovino exclaimed, feeling tears pricking the corners of his eyes. Maybe he should invest in a higher dosage of that medication…

“Do you _want_ to end up dead?” For how soft Julius’ voice was, there was a hidden timbre to it.

Lovino swallowed a lump in his throat. Their last argument had been a shouting match on both ends. Somehow, this was rapidly going nowhere at an even faster rate. “Why would you care about what I want?”

Lovino knew that those words would strike like poison to the heart, but had his grandfather really given him any reason to ever believe otherwise? Lovino looked directly into his eyes in a silent challenge, raising the tension in the room. For all the fear he felt, he had no plans to back down with his tail between his legs. Grandpa Julius clenched his jaw and fists. Lovino noticed a twitching nerve reveal itself in one of his temples. Feliciano was slowly slinking away from Lovino while bawling his eyes out like the big baby he always was.

“I have always cared about you! Always! Why do you think we have these fights?! If I didn’t care about you like the way you’ve made yourself believe, I wouldn’t bother!" His grandfather was only minutes away from roaring.

He couldn’t bring himself to fall for that. To him, it was a comforting trap waiting to ensnare him in a beautiful lie, and Julius would only do something that would remind him he cares about Feliciano more. _Why the fuck did he even bring Feliciano over here to begin with?_ Lovino couldn’t force any words to come out of his throat. He could only choke back a torrent of hot tears while his grandfather yelled relentlessly.

“You’re throwing yourself away, and you don’t even care! What have I ever done to make you believe that I didn’t love you?!”

“You want a list of reasons?! I can give you that anytime you want!” Lovino shouted back between restrained sobs.

Again, he failed to earn any sort of direct response to a comment he had made. He watched his grandfather through blurry vision continue his rant unabated. “When your own parents decided they didn’t want you anymore, I could have given you up to adoption! But I didn’t! I’m not the cruel man you make me out to be all the time!”

Of all the things he was reminded of that day, one of the most horrid ones was being reminded of his fucking godawful parents. In order to avoid a hellish trip down memory lane, Lovino jumped off the couch and stormed off towards the stairs. His feet slammed against the floor and echoed through the house that he would escape from one of these days. Lovino dashed up the stairs, ignoring anything his irritating brother and grandfather tried to say to bring him back down.

Lovino thought maybe it was fair that he had been so badly triggered, after all, he had done the same to Grandpa Julius, but more important than that, he didn’t want to think about anything at all anymore. He closed his door and locked it for good measure. He swore to himself that someday, he would move out and separate himself from everyone responsible for his constant misery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next three chapters will be about Kiku, Matthew, and then a certain Norwegian


	7. An Unfortunate Truth

There were very few words to accurately describe Kiku’s weekend. Disastrous and horrendous were just two of them. He spent much of his Sunday lying in bed feeling like death was on his doorstep after Saturday night. Miraculously, the sickly feeling went away by Sunday evening. It was all very mysterious, but a blessing Kiku wasn’t willing to question if it meant he didn’t have to call in to work. As Kiku left his apartment, he mentally prepared to stay far away from Heracles- and potentially any other alphas that he didn’t have to work closely with. It was for his own good.

“Good morning, Kiku!”

Toris was out in the lobby of their apartment complex. There was something pleasing about seeing him, and Kiku made a mental note that one day, he would have to visit the beta. Preferably when his little blond friend wasn’t around. “Good morning.”

Toris held the door open for the both of them as he continued chatting. “You have quite the busy week ahead of you.”

Kiku nodded. He had already been informed about plans to get him involved with other levels of the company. Today, he would be meeting Mr.Jones’ brother. A few days prior he had found himself wondering if the other Jones sibling shared any similar personality traits to his… enthusiastic boss. He needed to fully prepare himself for what absurdity that could add to his new job.

“I’m positive you’ll do well with your new assignments.”

Despite the small smile on his face, Kiku sensed Toris meant something else. Maybe it was the way Toris was now evading looking directly at him and was clutching at his stomach. The gesture was something Kiku had quickly picked up on, typically signaling when Toris was feeling anxious over something. Kiku couldn’t figure out what would have his stomach in knots, but it felt impolite to ask.

“Thank you.”

The conversation moved away from future work assignments and moved towards more personal information the two had yet to share with each other. Toris asked some more in depth questions of his past work experience, and the beta told Kiku about his own time spent with BW. Toris didn’t pry too deeply into his background, which Kiku was extremely grateful for. He even found himself enjoying the small talk on their morning commute. Toris really could be good company. To make matters even better, he wasn’t an alpha who would set off some bizarre reaction deep inside his body.

They arrived at work, then immediately parted ways when Toris was needed in one of the smaller buildings on the company campus. Kiku headed for the main entrance, then slowly paused. People were gawking at him. It was eerily similar to his first day. Not nearly as many, but it was hard to not notice  his coworkers burning holes into the back of his head. Once he convinced himself that it could be easily shrugged off, Kiku headed indoors, still trying to hush his own concerns.

“Mr.Honda?” A soft voice stopped him.

He nearly failed to hear the almost- whisper calling his name in an incredibly formal way that he wasn’t sure someone like him deserved. Kiku had already told Feliciano it was entirely unnecessary. “Hello?”

A younger man who looked a little bit too identical to Mr.Jones walked up to him. Though his glasses were different, his hair slightly longer, Kiku wouldn’t put it past them to actually be twins. Kiku found the softer voice to be a major improvement; especially after the weekend he had.

“I’m Matthew!” He extended his hand for the hundredth handshake Kiku had received in his short time working there. “Uh, I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance to go straight to your office. Alfred wanted me to meet you down here.”

“It’s not a problem.” Kiku assured him. “What are my assignments today?”

Matthew seemed a little taken aback, thinking for a moment. His eyes widened in understanding. “Oh! You don’t have anything really big to do today! I guess it’s more of an easy day for you as I show you around my department.”

That was it? Kiku almost felt disappointed. What else could have made Toris act so weird? “Ah. Sounds perfect.”

“If you follow me Mr.Honda, I’ll take you to my floor.” Matthew informed him, walking slightly ahead to lead the way. “I wasn’t here for your first week because… uh…”

Kiku dismissively waved his hand. “It’s nothing you need to explain to me- and by the way, you don’t need to call me mister.”

Formally addressing others was normally saved for higher dynamics. Even if an omega was in a higher position than him— which would have been impossible under the rules of his former land— he would address them only by their name. The rules of formality here would take a lot to get used to. Kiku felt like he was starting off on the wrong foot with who he called mister and miss.

Matthew apologized again, and the two began their walk to the sixth floor. Kiku shrunk into himself, noticing more eyes following him. He was relieved when they crossed the threshold of the social media lounge that was just as crazily and brightly decorated as the rest of the building.

The hardwood floor turned into black carpeting that was patterned with an assortment of overlapping shapes colored in every shade imaginable. The furniture around him were mostly plush chairs and large sofas curved around smooth black tables. On the wall furthest away from him, there were several awards and a bulletin board full of papers he couldn’t read from his distance. The most important detail to Kiku was the lack of noise in Matthew’s department. It was always something important to him. There was the soft sound of some music playing over the speakers, but it wasn’t enough to pose as an annoyance to him. Overall, Kiku found it to be a pleasant start to his Monday.

“The social media lounge is an extremely important department to us.” Matthew cut Kiku’s admiration short. “Since social websites are so big these days, we really count on them to help get information out to the public as you might have guessed already. It’s where we tend to announce certain events and whatnot."

Kiku pulled at the knot in his tie. Matthew didn’t give Kiku any impressions of someone who would judge him for not keeping up with the times, but it was still a little embarrassing to have to admit that he knew nothing about social media. It wasn't anything uncommon, he thought to himself. Under what others might see as a simple issue that could be immediately solved, Kiku's true problem lay under it. He felt more distanced from his colleagues with each “small” difference between them. It only reminded him of where he came from, and how little he had. Kiku didn’t allow any of that emotion to leak through as Matthew kindly explained how all of it worked in greater detail.

During Matthew’s demonstration on how his job worked, there was an interruption, shoes squeaking against the floor in their hurry and softening once they reached the carpet as someone rushed into the lounge. Kiku raised his head up from Matthew’s computer to look at the slightly tousled stranger dressed very casually. There was no way he worked here.

“Mat—“ The stranger rushed forwards a couple of steps but stopped short when he realized there was an unknown party in the room.

Matthew’s face was twisted in confusion, and what Kiku guessed to be a slight fraction of distaste. The smell of the other omega went from something like powdered sugar and pine to a lighter, more subdued scent. Kiku normally wasn’t  _this_  sensitive to the scents wafting from others.

“What is it, Gilbert?” Matthew asked the newcomer, sounding a bit uneasy.

Gilbert’s eyes flew back and forth between him and Kiku. Discomfort was evident from the way he bit his lower lip, furrowing his eyebrows like he was staring at a really hard problem he couldn’t quite figure out. Gilbert crossed his arms, rubbing at his biceps as he kept throwing glances at the exit over his shoulder. He bounced on the balls of his feet a couple of times; then, finally decided to speak. Of all the weird ways he had met people over the past week, Kiku would put this one in the top ten.

“Uh…” Gilbert scratched the back of his neck. “A-are you… umm… Are you Kiku?”

“Yes?” Kiku responded, just catching the way Gilbert’s nose twitched, forcing him to rub it.

The strange man’s red eyes seemed to quickly scan around the room. When he was content with whatever he was looking for, Gilbert steadily moved towards them. He didn’t get too close, staying on the opposite side of the table they were seated at. His nose was still twitching. Kiku wondered if he had to sneeze.

“Uh— Nice to meet you!” Gilbert did his best to appear no longer as apprehensive. He was grinning now, but even that seemed a little tense.

Matthew waved his hand over him. “This is Mr.Beilschimdt’s older brother. He’s an alpha, too.”

Older? Kiku didn’t even know how old the other sibling was, but calling Gilbert the older one still felt unusual. Kiku gave a curt nod and small smile, hoping to ease Gilbert’s questionable behavior.

The white-haired alpha kept his sight trained on the table, occasionally glancing at Matthew. “I-uh… Matt, can we talk outside?”

“If it’s not an emergency it can wait.” Matthew kindly turned him down.

“After work? Or while you’re on lunch?” Gilbert sounded pretty hopeful.

Matthew sighed. “It depends.”

“Great!” Gilbert beamed brightly as if that that was a resounding “yes” and left, calling out, “See ya’ later!”

Matthew groaned. “I’m sorry about his interruption. He knows he shouldn’t come here while we’re on the clock. Although, he doesn’t normally act so weird.”

So, Kiku himself was just putting Gilbert on edge? He had never had that effect on anyone before. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” Matthew idly traced the keyboard of his laptop. “Normally, he’s really loud and talks a lot. Wonder why-  _oh!_ ”

The other omega gasped loud enough to startle Kiku. He grasped the armrests of his chair and swiveled around to face Matthew. “What is it?”

He didn't reply right away, settling on doing a series of gestures that looked like they were repeating Gilbert but less absurd. Kiku couldn't form a single word in response and only stared at him wide-eyed. Matthew pulled back and softly apologized for what had happened. Kiku hadn't the slightest clue what any of that amounted to.

“I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but,” Matthew shifted uncomfortably in his own chair and leaned forward like he had a big secret nobody else was allowed to hear, his already soft voice dropping to a barely perceivable whisper, “are you, uh, in heat?”

Kiku’s face fell, and his heart began racing as the pieces of the unfortunate puzzle came crashing together. Not only had he not had a heat in year, but- his mind flashed back to the day spent with Hercules, how close he had stood- he had never been in such close proximity to an alpha for hours at a time. All the time he spent ill in bed was a warning sign that Kiku didn’t bother to catch. But wait! Why would Matthew ask him that? One alpha reacting to him so strangely didn’t prove anything. Of course, there was also all those odd looks he had gotten since he arrived to work and admittedly feeling a bit different than usual, something Kiku couldn't place his finger on until now- but why wasn’t Matthew affected?

“W-why are you asking me that?” Kiku stuttered, feeling his face heat up.

Kiku luckily wasn’t alone in his embarrassment. Matthew’s face had a light dusting of red as well. “It’s just that, w-well… Gilbert gets real weird about stuff like that! I might just be jumping to conclusions, b-but I  _have_ seen him act similarly in another situation with an omega in heat.”

 _Oh_. In case Kiku was still in disbelief, his boss’s brother quickly added on to his reasoning. “L-like I said, normally he’s real bouncy and talks a lot! This is really abnormal of him- and he left so quickly.”

“Um... “ was all he could muster up.

“My brother takes stuff like this extremely seriously.” Matthew’s voice was low but not unkind.  “Do you need to go home?”

Kiku snapped out of his shocked trance and instantly paled. “Where is your office?”

The two walked through a door off to the side of the room, and Kiku could feel his composure melting away. He had only been there for a week. There was absolutely no way he could afford such a massive problem after such a short span of time. It would also be a huge letdown for Mr.Jones. Kiku wasn’t going to let any of that happen.

“I can’t go home.” Kiku found the strength to say once he thought things through.

Matthew looked at him with uncertainty in his eyes. “Do you think that’s a good—“

“My apologies for making our first meeting so complicated, but I simply cannot go home.” Kiku said, making sure to keep his voice form but polite. “I told your brother that this would never be an issue for him.”

“Oh…” that seemed to do it for him.

It should go without saying that Matthew would know Mr.Jones very well. He would be able to predict his nearly identical sibling's reaction to this major problem; maybe even come up with a solution. Just when Kiku felt lucky to return to work with no illness, this dropped on him. If Matthew could help him, Kiku would be more than willing to thank him in any way needed.

“Well… oh, boy.” It was easy to see Matthew wasn’t used to talking so much. “You really should know something before I help you out.”

So, he was going to help him. That small relief cooled down his high strung nerves.

“Ah, years ago when the company was under our dad’s leadership, there was an  _incident_  involving an omega who refused to leave work when struck with a sudden heat. I… really think I should spare you the details, but it caused a lot of trouble and changed so many rules around here.” Matthew imitated his earlier action of coming in closer to whisper, possibly fearing the possibility of someone being able to hear them. “Don’t tell my brother that I told you any of this, but it’s a big reason why he’s pretty… uptight over making sure omegas are never here during heat.”

Kiku lowered himself into a chair, needing to take all of this in. There was a lot of untold history with the Jones’ branch of Beautiful World-- from the employee Kiku replaced to whatever possibly dark story was looming behind  _this_. He feared what else the overly colorful walls could be hiding from him and the outside world. He carefully considered Matthew’s words, finding the company name a bit ironic; something he strangely never thought of before under his previous work position. Kiku ran a hand through his hair and breathed out, trying to calm the rest of his frayed nerves.

“Do you have any suggestions on how I can avoid any further problems, or a repeat of _that_?”

Matthew tapped at his chin in thought. “Well, first, I think I need to know how intense it is. You’re walking around just fine for someone in heat, and you’re not having any, uh, _needs,_ are you?”

Kiku’s face burned red just thinking about it. He shook the thoughts away. "No..."

“That’s great!” Matthew began thinking more critically on what to do for Kiku, pacing across his colorful carpet and tapping his chin. “So really, you just have a noticeable smell. There’s no perfume around here for me to douse you in so that’s a no.”

“Wait. They have perfumes that are strong enough to hide heat scents?” Kiku’s interest had been piqued.

Matthew sat down across from Kiku and fidgeted with a button on the cuff of his sleeve. “They do exist, but they’re very hard to come by.”

Kiku felt the tension easing from his form. Was this all he needed to save himself from possible termination? “Where would you get one of them?”

“They’re illegal.”

He slouched in his chair, realizing for a moment that this society wasn’t entirely different from one he thought he left. It was just as soaked in conservative ideals with no room for change. Kiku’s heart sank.

“Don’t give up yet!” Matthew pleaded. “The easiest thing I can think of is letting you stay in here the whole day.”

Kiku wasn’t about to fall into another beacon of hope so easily. “What if someone needs me?”

Matthew paused. “That’s a good point, but I can think of a solution I’m sure.”

“Matthew!” An energetic voice that could only belong to Feliciano called out from the other side of the door, followed by gentle knocking.

His fear was already coming true. What did Feliciano even need him for? Why wasn’t he ever in his department where he belonged? Kiku wanted to hide himself away, but there was nowhere in the office that wouldn’t be either obvious or embarrassing. Matthew stood to open the door, and Kiku’s fear grew with every step. Feliciano would surely tell someone. Kiku couldn’t think of a single reason why he wouldn’t.

He had been so wrapped up in his panic that he didn’t notice the way the bouncy omega was staring at him. When their eyes locked, Kiku jumped. “Hello, Feliciano.”

The attempt at a casual greeting failed the second he opened his mouth, and the redhead was at his side just as quickly. “A little birdie stopped by and told me you might need a little help."

Sweat was forming on the palms of his hands, forcing him to hide them in his pockets. Gilbert’s- who else could this "little birdie" possibly be- random appearance could only be seen in two ways. He was either a blessing that solved the mysterious problem of his terribly ended Saturday, or a curse that would only bring further complications to his day. Kiku found himself trying to inch away from Feliciano as though a little distance would save him.

“Aww, Kiku. I thought you didn’t have these anymore.” Feliciano tilted his head to the side. “Did something happen?”

Kiku grimaced. Would telling him about Saturday be helpful or hurtful in the long run. He hastily decided that the more information they had, the more help they could offer him. “I spent Saturday on a tour around the city with Heracles-"

“Him?” Matthew squeaked out. “I didn’t mean to stop you, but-"

Feliciano cut in. "Oh! I learned about all of this stuff in high school biology! Maybe there was something specific that his body was putting out, and yours caught onto it.”

That was quite possibly one of the most useful things Feliciano had ever said in his presence. “What do you mean?”

“He also gets around a lot.” Matthew covered his mouth, glancing away.

Kiku looked to Feliciano for confirmation. He received a small nod. Something like embarrassment swallowed up all his worries and fears when he realized that Heracles had been coming onto him. Knowing there was a very high chance that the alpha just viewed him as someone whose pants he could get in made him so… irritated. Kiku’s hands squeezed his thighs from inside his pockets as he tried to think of something to say. A swell of mixed emotions were keeping his rational thoughts away, and Kiku planned to keep Heracles away just the same. To think, one alpha had caused all of this.

"His scent is the only thing giving him problems. There’s nothing we have to hide it.” Matthew caught their coworker up.

Feliciano froze up. His eyebrows almost disappeared into his bangs, and he didn’t look at the other two. One bizarre event after another was reigning in his Monday, and Kiku couldn’t fathom how he would last until his break.

“Oh, yeah.” Feliciano awkwardly chuckled. “That stuff is pretty illegal.”

“That’s exactly what I told Kiku.”

“Well since you can’t disobey the laws and threaten your health with illegal goods,” Feliciano was really rivaling Gilbert with who could act the strangest, “I guess you’ll have to stay in here all day or go home. Your only options.”

The Italian had gotten them nowhere. Kiku repeated his earlier question but rephrased it to be more specific. “What will I do if your mate or Mr. Jones comes down here?”

Mr.Beilschmidt was a rule abiding man and could easily jeopardize Kiku’s work if he found out. Feliciano became more distraught with the question. The answer he gave him was shocking to say the least. “I-I could help if you need me to…”

His voice had softened so much that Kiku almost failed to hear him correctly. “What?”

“I-I said I’ll help you.” Feliciano spoke up a little louder.

Even Matthew was at a loss for words, confused.

_______________________________________________________________________

Kiku now owed two people his eternal gratitude, and they were the two that he saw as least likely to be of so much use to him. As happy as he was for what they were sacrificing on his behalf-- if caught, they would be in just as much trouble-- he also felt incredibly guilty. Neither of them had any responsibility to help him, but there they were, discussing how to hide Kiku anyway. Before any shame could completely override his joy, Kiku verbally thanked them both.

“Please forgive me for all of the trouble I’ve caused, and thank you for everything you’re doing.”

Shortly after Feliciano had announced he would also help Kiku, he had been sent to Kiku's office to retrieve needed paperwork. When he returned with the appropriate papers after more than one trip, Kiku was free to do his work in Matthew’s office while the other tended to his own business. The paperwork wasn’t anything serious, and it was good that he wasn’t expected to deal with something of major importance at the moment. His mind kept trailing off and no amount of work could provide a focus. Not even the calm atmosphere of the social media lounge (which Matthew graciously informed him mostly betas worked in). Everything was fine. He didn’t need to worry about anyone close by picking up the scent of his unwanted heat.

A glance at the moose-shaped clock on the wall told him that his break was coming sooner than expected, but there was no way he’d be able to leave the room. Working through his break seemed to be the only viable option.

“Kiku, I could bring you something for lunch?” Matthew offered, and in that moment, Kiku swore the soft-spoken omega was just further proving himself to be an angel.

“You’re doing enough for me already. I don’t want to impede anymore than I have.”

His rejection wasn’t exactly accepted. “It’s no problem at all, really.”

“I’ll pay you back.” Kiku offered him a tiny smile and returned to diligently trying to focus on his work. Of course it didn’t last long.

Feliciano came bounding into the office, not bothering to knock. It was surprising he did it the first time. “I’ll keep you safe while he’s gone!”

“Feliciano, someone could hear you!” Matthew shushed him, prompting Feliciano to put his hands up in defense.

“Sorry! Sorry!”

“How did you know I would be leaving for a bit?” Matthew asked.

All he got was a shrug and, “Lucky guess~”

If Kiku could just make it through the remaining work hours and sneak his way out, the day would be over and done with. He could figure out some home remedies and return to work with zero issues...though he didn’t know any off the top of his head. Feliciano and Matthew felt like a wealth of information on the topic, and after the quieter omega left (promising to return in thirty-five minutes) Kiku glanced at the other omega, who was mindlessly staring off into space.

“Pardon me for interrupting whatever it is you were just doing, but,” Kiku coughed, “what do you know about scent suppressors?"

In any other situation, Kiku wouldn’t have been so nosy, but this was urgent. He tried to reason with himself as he waited for Feliciano’s reply.

The younger of the two flinched and placed his hands behind his back, staring at his shoes. The red leather made a soft sound as he tapped the toes together.  It made him look like a shy child trying to avoid strangers. “Uh, nothing.”

That was a pretty obvious lie. “But you said-"

Feliciano invaded Kiku’s personal space, a serious look in his normally bright eyes. He grasped Kiku’s shoulders and whispered as much as his natural born outside voice would allow. “Kiku, don’t go digging into stuff like that! It’s extremely dangerous.”

The desperation in his voice gave Kiku the idea that Feliciano had some sort of personal experience with this. Kiku eased himself out of the other’s grip. “Talking about breaking laws isn’t like me…”

Well, technically. His career that had only started a few years ago was completely founded on not following rules, though they were mainly those that were looking to oppress him. What had come over him?

“Please, don’t do it! My brother got himself mixed up with that kind of stuff! He hates what he is and tries to make everyone believe he’s an alpha!” Feliciano rushed. He then quickly pulled himself away from Kiku when he realized that he had said far too much.

Feliciano’s overly talkative mouth had it’s perks. Kiku couldn’t believe what had just spilled out of him. Was such a thing truly possible? How was Lovino— that was his name, right?— getting away with something so massively scandalous? Jealousy wasn’t an emotion Kiku felt often— in fact, he didn’t think he had ever truly felt it completely before— but now Kiku was overcome  On top of that, there was an aching sense of wonder, a need for more answers. Everyone at work knew what he was. When he thought about it, escaping such an inescapable position felt amazing. His mind was too clouded with ways to get out of his current predicament, and he knew would come to judge himself for even considering it when in the privacy of his apartment.

“Ah! Forget I said anything about Lovino!” Feliciano jumped off the desk, flailing his arms wildly in an x shape. “I don’t know where he gets them so don’t ask about them anymore!”

There was a lot left unsaid that was clearly pointing in the direction of something beyond terrible. Kiku watched Feliciano’s trembling frame and felt his tenth apology that day was in order. Treating someone badly who was being so kind to him was inexcusable. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up something so tragic for you.”

Feliciano calmed down, lowering his arms, but it didn’t last long. A shout from outside the office caught both of them by surprise.

“Feliciano!” It was the redhead’s mate.

This was it. This is what he deserved for triggering Feliciano so badly. Mr.Beilschmidt would discover Kiku was in heat, and then he would relay his discover back to Mr.Jones after forcing Kiku to go home. He knew without a doubt that this is exactly how it would all play out. Kiku sat as stiff as a board while Feliciano put a finger to his lips, silently telling him to stay quiet, and headed out to face the large alpha.

Kiku almost wanted to place his ear against the door so he could listen in to figure out what Mr.Beilschmidt had come over for. Desperation to cling to something positive was telling him that maybe it was just to retrieve his wayward mate, who loved wondering all around the building. He couldn’t move, however, and he wasn’t going to test his luck with a single bit of sound that would cause. Kiku’s stomach turned with every passing second spent waiting for Feliciano to return with or without his mate. He felt like he was about to vomit when another familiar voice joined the conversation in the hall.

 _Mr.Jones_.

It was a reverse of the classic two birds with one stone saying. The two stones were his superiors, and he was the unfortunate bird. Kiku bent himself in half over the seat of the chair and hid his face in his hands.

It was hard to hear anything being said, but what did that matter? Kiku was preparing himself to face his bosses’ disappointment and lose his job. It was the only foreseeable outcome. The voices became more muted and distant as a headache pounded away at the back of his head.

 _Kiku, you’re fired_.

 _You’ve let me down after all I’ve been through to get you over here. I’m letting you go back to your old boss_.

 _Letting an omega into a top position really was a bad idea_.

He was about to explode when the door swung open. A thousand and one apologies died on the tip of his tongue when he looked into violet eyes kept behind rounded glasses frames. Matthew stood in the door, holding a large plastic bag with two styrofoam cases. The smell of food filled his nose, and he wanted to collapse right then and there.

“I came back sooner than expected.” Matthew sheepishly smiled and shut the door.

With the door shut and Matthew inside, Kiku fell back into his chair, not remembering when he got out of it. His heart had leapt into his throat, and he needed to find his peace of mind again.

Matthew placed the food on his desk and gave Kiku a light pat on the back. “Feliciano dragged my brother and his husband away. You’re in the clear.”

Kiku swallowed a deep breath of air and wiped off his forehead. “How did he do it?”

“I guess he can be really good at distracting people.”

As they ate, Matthew explained what the last bits of their conversation were. It was the only part he was able to listen in on even if he wasn’t that close to the three.

“Feliciano said something about Gilbert being here earlier. Mr.Beilschmidt asked him what the smell was— don’t panic! Your scent is actually pretty faint from where they were standing!” Matthew waved both hands in front of him.

Kiku sighed. “Probably because I haven’t been out there for a while.”

“Which is a good thing!” Matthew suddenly beamed, strangely perky. “If you keep to yourself in here for the rest of the day, there’ll be no lingering smell out there at all.”

The thought never occurred to Kiku. His heat scent was so mild that it didn’t last long nor did it reach long distances. Feeling a little lighter, Kiku asked a question that had been biting at his curiosity. “What do I smell like, exactly?”

Matthew pondered for a bit, putting his fork down. “I think it smells like… hm, cherry blossoms? Mixed with… a bit of sea salt?”

_______________________________________________________________________

Lunch came and went. Kiku finished his own work, or at least what he had been given by Feliciano, only an hour later. His troubled mind couldn’t keep him from finishing his tasks, which Kiku counted as a sign of having better fortune than he thought. Matthew had even allowed him to observe him carry out his own duties when Kiku had grown tired of going over his papers for the thirteenth time. The ultimate distraction for Kiku would always be working.

By the time he stepped out of Matthew’s cozy office, he felt content with how well versed in the matters of social media and online forums he would be. Now, if only he had a computer or phone to practice these newfound abilities on.

“So, we’ll be getting off soon. I have a plan.” Matthew announced, looking at the clock on his computer.

Kiku was all ears.

“You can leave out of here in a few minutes before. It’ll give you a chance to get out with the least amount of people seeing you.”

Kiku nodded. “And I should stay away from main halls and exits, huh?”

Matthew flashed him a grin. “Yes! Take the back exit. It leads to a different street, but you can come back around if you need to. From the outside of course.”

The blond spoke with an amount of confidence that matched up with his bold thinking for the day. Was Matthew always like this, or did it only show when he wasn’t beside his outspoken brother? Someone so quiet who led his own department and was an omega? Kiku wanted to ask him so much about his position, but there was no allotted time for that. As Kiku gathered his belongings, deciding to take them home so he can return them to their appropriate spot the following day, he blamed his sudden need to talk on his heat.

“I’ll see you around I guess.” Matthew’s vigor died down, and he returned to what Kiku perceived to be his normal state. He offered him a wave goodbye.

Kiku took his wallet out and removed what money he needed for the food. “Thank you for doing so much for me today, but what are you going to do about your office? I’m certain that it, well… reeks of me.”

Matthew accepted the money. “I’ll figure something out if my brother stops by to ask about you. Maybe a candle or something. He may want to know how you did today with me.”

After a simple nod, Kiku left, walking much faster when he was out of the lounge. He would have to trust that Matthew knew how to expertly lie to Mr.Jones. Lying to their boss for Kiku’s sake-  _god_ , he felt terrible.

His brisk walk through the building wasn’t impeded by anyone, nor did he stop to see if anyone was watching his every move. When that managed to go smoothly, Kiku made it outside and followed Matthew’s directions, walking around the back of the campus to make it to the proper street. To think, he was on a clear path to his apartment in no time at all. Kiku was about to reach the sidewalk and figure out how to handle the rest of his path to the apartment complex with so many people walking about. A deep, sleepy voice made him stop dead in his tracks. It was the last voice he wanted to hear all day, and yet he could feel his knees weaken at the sound of it.

“There you are, Kiku. I was hoping you’d be out here for lunch, or that I could catch you in the morning.” Heracles explained himself. “But it’s a sign of luck that I got to see you out here before you leave.”

Kiku slowly turned around, shoulders trembling slightly. Heracles had his finger looped through the tag in his jacket, holding it over his shoulder. He looked like he was just aboutto head home himself. The alpha wasn’t too close to him, but he was walking closer, giving Kiku no other option than to back away. He couldn’t let Heracles smell him if he hadn’t already. The consequences for that would be detrimental.

He had nothing to say as Heracles kept on talking. “I wanted to ask if my tour was helpful."

“Yeah! It was fine.” Kiku forced himself to say. “If you’ll excuse me I really need to get back to my place.”

Unfortunately, Heracles wasn’t done. The Greek alpha cane closer still, and there was a subtle change in his body language that Kiku couldn’t ignore. He froze up as the other man was now a few centimeters from him. Heracles’ eyes were even more half-lidded than usual. His sleepy voice carried a deeper tone that Kiku was completely unfamiliar with. He knew. It had happened already. Heracles, the very person responsible, could smell his heat.

“You have a very interesting scent today.” Heracles asked, but Kiku felt he already knew the answer.

“It’s a perfume.” Lying to _him_ didn’t feed Kiku’s guilty conscience at least.

Heracles chuckled quietly. “Perfume?”

He wasn’t an idiot, but Kiku wished he was easy to trick. “Yes.”

At that moment, Kiku would rather trade Gilbert for Heracles. At least he knew of one alpha who didn’t look like he was ready to jump an omega in heat. As Heracles moved further into his space, Kiku felt himself start to shrink/tremble, his scent turning sour with fear. He was typically extremely careful with haphazardly releasing his emotions in their most undeniable form, but now, his heat had gone and messed him all up. Kiku clenched his eyes shut, waiting for something awful to happen but nothing ever did. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of something unusual. Instead of his usual unreadable expression, Heracles looked clearly confused, expressing signs of discomfort.

“Kiku?” Heracles mouthed his name. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, he's just fine.”

 _Feliks_.

Feliks had grabbed Kiku’s shoulder and was pulling him away. Kiku never would have thought he’d be grateful for him of all people whisking him away but the day had been full of surprises. Heracles didn’t move from his spot, still looking mildly bewildered, as Kiku was dragged along by the hand with Feliks towards the sidewalk. Absently, he almost wanted to know why Heracles didn’t make a move on him.

When they were out of what could be considered the danger zone, Feliks spoke up. “I saw what he was doing, and you looked pretty scared.”

“I wasn’t afraid…” Kiku muttered.

“Uh-huh.” Feliks didn’t believe him, of course. “I heard from an anonymous someone that you were attracting a little attention today. Put the details together and figured you were in a heat.”

What?! How many people knew about this? Did it really make a difference if he had stayed in his own office if Feliks even knew about it? Kiku settled on an awkward thanks. “I see… thank you.”

“I’m glad I stepped in at the right time!” He cheerfully chirped. “Now, Toris can take you back home so you don’t need to worry about that at all.”

Before he could even ask what that meant or where Toris was even at, Feliks had let go of him and walked off, shouting a “See you later!” The blond left in the opposite direction just as Toris made his appearance, rounding the corner at a perfect moment. The oddball pair had something in common- dramatic timing. Toris stopped to catch his breath in front of Kiku.

“Sorry about that. Feliks had to go home, so there’s only me to help.”

Kiku sighed. “That’s nothing to apologize for, really.”

Toris stood to his full height, adjusting his sweater. “Right. Let’s hurry up and head home."

The bus ride back to the complex wasn’t as easy as the ride to work. Toris wasn’t making much conversation, so there was nothing stopping Kiku from being acutely aware of the few pairs of eyes he saw looking his way from the front of the bus. The whole ride was incredibly quiet until they stepped off. Toris who had looked extra pensive the whole ride, chose this time to say what was on his mind.

“I’m glad you stayed the whole day.” Toris smiled and held the door open for him, letting him walk in the lobby first.

Anna was dealing with a tenant at her desk, and Kiku felt a huge weight drop from his shoulders. No one was around to gawk at him or do anything at all to jeopardize his safety. He felt at ease in the weirdly decorated lobby and let out a breath he had been holding since they were at the bus stop. He would feel even better once he was in his room.

“Thanks for staying with me.” Kiku smiled a little.

“It was the right thing to do.” Toris said as they got into the elevator. “Kiku, how are you going to go back to work tomorrow?”

“I’m not too sure.” Kiku admitted, his mood souring at the realization. Really, what was there to do?

“If you can’t think of something, I could help you with it if you need me to.”

Kiku was slightly stunned by the offer. The elevator opened to his floor, but he wasn’t about to get off just yet. “Uh… I’ll see what can be done, I suppose.”

Toris grinned a bit but quickly became shy. “Not meaning to come off so weird, but I only want the best for you and Al-, uh, our boss!”

Kiku got out and gave the beta a quick nod. The elevator closed, leaving Kiku alone with his thoughts. Mr.Jones’ secretary had the closest working relationship with him. He’d be very aware of what their employer wanted. Toris looking out for him and his job security was nothing short of interesting, but also very kind.

He shut the door to his apartment and dropped his belongings on the recliner. He needed to think of something fast. Illegal goods were out of the question, but he knew of nothing else. That didn’t leave him with many options. Kiku wandered into his kitchen and leaned on the counter, pondering the subject, trying for anything useful. Scouring his mind for any clues or hints that could lead him in the right direction instead brought him to an old memory tucked away like all the other ones. It was something Yao showed him how to make when Kiku was in his late teen years.

“That tea was so bitter and strong…” Kiku said to himself, remembering the taste.

It was a little petty, but he didn’t want to make use of anything that the man who had disappeared from his life without a word had ever taught him. He wanted to find his own remedy... but nothing else came to mind. He scowled a bit as he tried to remember the ingredients. The tea had been brewed from a mixture of vegetable roots and herbs from Yao’s own garden, and most were easy to acquire Kiku dropped his head onto the counter, groaning. Stubborn as he wanted to be, if this helped him keep his job and stay out of trouble, then so be it.

Kiku caved and walked back to his living room, shuffling around until he found a piece of paper and pen. A list of ingredients would need to be made and handed over to the only person he knew well enough in the entire building. Kiku made a side note on the same sheet to remind Toris of the cost so he could pay him back. With heavy steps, Kiku went to the elevator, letting it ding down to the second floor. He was delighted when Toris accepted the list with very few questions.

“I’ll come back with everything soon as possible!"

After that, Toris was gone, and Kiku dashed up the stairs instead of taking the lift to return to his room. Now, all he needed to do was wait.

Pacing his living room, thinking of backup plans if the tea failed him consumed a good majority of Kiku’s time. He had taken off his suit and switched into more comfortable clothes, clearing his mind to try to recall details. Kiku managed to recall what he was pretty sure was the necessary brewing time, how much of which ingredient the tea called for, and the amount he needed to drink for it to work. A knock at the door stopped his anxious pacing.

Toris stood with two bags in one hand and the list in the other. Kiku eagerly accepted all of the items. “You’ve done a great deal of help for me with this.”

Toris moved some hair from the side of his face and held out his hand as Kiku passed over the payment. “Just looking out for you.”

So many people had been unabashedly ready to come to his aid that it made Kiku’s head spin. He was just so incredibly unused to this sort of unrestrained kindness. He was sure there had to be a catch, somewhere. Though none of the individuals who had helped him along the course of the day were alphas- so it wasn’t like he needed to truly worry about that, did he?

Kiku and Toris traded their goodbyes. He took the bags of ingredients into the kitchen, not wasting a moment as he got to work.

Within two hours, the smell of boiling roots and herbs had filled his entire apartment. It wasn’t a half bad smell, but Kiku knew that the taste would be something entirely different. Kiku stood up from his seat, stretching his weary muscles. There was a teacup waiting for him next to the stove. Kiku peered into the dark brown liquid inside the pot, his reflection staring back at him. He frowned at his tired image and grabbed a ladle, wanting this to be over already.

Kiku sat at his counter, sipping the tea slowly while trying not to cough at the flavor. The godawful liquid was a brew Yao had told him about, a personal secret on how to deal with heats. Many of his home remedies had a high success rate, much to Kiku’s amazement. The questionable amount of steps for each antidote had made a younger Kiku highly cautious of actually doing as his caretaker had instructed, but now...

Halfway through the cup, Kiku recalled a time from his older teen years spent outside with Yao, in the safety of his forest home.

_ It’s incredibly hot. The sweltering heat doesn’t go well with such an equally hot drink, and it _doesn't help that his body is burning with a heat of its own. He sits on the back porch of Yao’s home, rapidly fanning himself while watching the other omega carefully pick things from his garden. The only reason the two are outside at all is thanks to Yao’s sudden urge to show him how to create a medicine that he swears by._ _

_ _ “So, if I’m being honest, this isn’t a miracle cure-all…” Yao says from somewhere amongst the tall plant life. “Although, that won’t be a problem! It can smother your scent in no time!" _ _

_ _ He can only weakly nod his head at Yao, even though the other can’t see him. He pulls his robe even further up his thighs in an attempt to cool the building warmth coming from an unspeakable place. These times of the month were the worst, but at least it was bearable during winter or cool, rainy days. He can’t wait to go back inside. _ _

_ _ “I know you’re having a hard time paying attention to me right now, but I’m going to need to you keep it together long enough to learn how to make this. Alright, Kiku?” _ _

_ He nods again before remembering to speak. “Yes… When will this be done?” _

_ Yao sticks his head out from a row of plants that towered over him. “You get so impatient when in heat.” _

_ Redness spread across his cheeks, and he squirms. “Don’t be so honest about stuff like that…” _

_ Yao snorts and makes his way to the porch with a basket full of various leafy greens. The older omega fixes him with a motherly gaze. “I’m not making fun of you.” _

_ “It’s easy for you to talk when you aren’t suffering.” He turns on to his side. “I’ll be waiting out here.” _

_ Yao gives him a soft smile and heads back indoors to get the tea started. He believes he’s free to lay outside like a cat in the sunlight when Yao reappears. _

_ “Get up! You have to actually watch what I’m doing.” _

_ “Agh…” He pulls himself off the floor and drags himself back inside, following his mentor. _

_ Sitting through a lesson on how to properly peel, cut, and boil a bunch of vegetation is no easy task in his state of mind. Sitting is already difficult as it is. For a second, he wonders why Yao decided to share this with him now of all times. The man did always teach him to not make himself useless in heat if it could be helped, but still. He fidgets in his place, feeling a small wet spot on the seat of his robe. So gross. Maybe Yao knew a thing or two about that. _

_ As nice as it is to be out of the unforgiving path of the sun, the fire burning for the pot of water is only making the room burn up. He pulls his fan out from the ribbon tied around his waist and returns to fanning himself when Yao finally dumps the ingredients into the pot. _

_ “Right now, you smell very strong,” Yao starts, sitting next to him, “but in a few hours, you’ll be practically scentless.” _

_ “A few hours…? What do you want me to do while we wait?” He meekly asks the elder. _

_ “You can go to the front and sit under the shade.” Yao casually replies, looking completely unbothered by the weather. _

_ “Go back outside?!” He asks a little too loudly in disbelief. _

_ “Or do you need to go back to your room—“ _

_ He stumbles to his feet, already near the front door with quick steps. “I don’t need any of that right now.” _

_ Yao gasps. “It was a legitimate question!” _

_ He would rather sit in the cool shade than commit unspeakable horrors to himself to ease his obnoxious pains. “Let me know when it’s done.” _

_ The door is shut, and he drops to his knees. The extended roof and many trees in the yard at least provides him with some much needed shade. He stares out at the expansive forest and lays down again. If this was the village, he would never lay down outside completely unprotected during a time where his body is so sensitive— for lack of a better word. No, he wouldn’t dare go to sleep either. _

_ “Kiku! Wake up!” _

_ Yao is standing over him holding a wooden bowl, a chip missing from the rim. He sits up onto his knees, and Yao places the bowl in front of him. _

_ “You have to drink all of it if you want it to work.” Yao softly explains. _

_ He picks the bowl up. The scent wafting from it is kind of appealing. He immediately changes his mind when he brings the bowl to his lips. _

_ “Ugh!” Spit and tea fly out of his mouth instantly. _

_ “I know it’s gross, but it’ll be very useful.” Yao lowers himself to his eye level. “So, drink up~” _

_ After a sigh, the tea is gone just as quickly as it took for him to find it repulsive. He drops the bowl with a clatter and sits back against the exterior of the house. There was no aftertaste thanks to his tongue going numb, either from the flavor or how piping hot it was. He had no complaints about that, though. _

_ “Now, by the time you fall asleep tonight, you won’t have a smell from your heat!” Yao happily announces. _

_ “Hm… what do I smell like anyway?” _

_ “Definitely cherry blossom and sea salt. It really fits you.” _

_ “What…?” He asks, wondering what that was supposed to mean. _

_ Yao doesn’t give him an answer. Instead, he looks out at the forest and hums in thought. “I’ll be going to the orphanage tomorrow.” _

_ Ah, the orphanage. It was Yao’s only remaining link to the outside world. They sat quietly for a moment, enjoying the surrounding nature. Then he felt a nagging suspicion.  “Wait. You made me drink that so my smell wouldn’t be a problem while you’re not around, didn’t you?” _

_ Yao stifles a laugh. “That’s an interesting theory, Kiku.” _

_ No one knows Yao lives here. There were never any surprise visitors or anyone lurking in the shadows, hoping to take the two omegas as theirs. If he’s right, Yao may be paranoid. He had never been left alone in the others home while in heat. Perhaps its was  a general safety precaution. Thinking about Yao fearing the impossible felt unreal. _

_ “Later, when you aren’t so hazy minded, I’ll ask you to repeat everything I showed you back to me.” _

_ He nods. _

_ “And don’t forget to clean yourself off before you return to your room!” Yao gives him a friendly reminder like the parent he always acts like. _

_ “Y-Yao!” He turns away, face burning red. “Don’t be so blunt…” _

The cup was empty. It had been for several minutes now. Kiku had gotten overly sidetracked with a less than amusing memory, idly staring at the dregs of leaves stuck to the bottom. He dropped the dirty dishes in the sink, intending to clean them tomorrow. Right now, his only plan was to sleep the rest of the day off.

_He wakes up the next morning, greeted by the sun shining through his open window. There’s a note on the floor beside his futon in Yao’s handwriting._

_‘As I predicted, your smell is gone! Sorry, I won’t be there in the morning. Just thought I would tell you that through this letter.’_

_He holds it in his hands, running his fingers over a cutesy panda that had been drawn in the corner. It would be even better if Yao had given him other remedies for his sweating and cramping that always kicked in on the second day of heat. He places the letter back down and curls up on his futon._

_“Thanks, Yao…”_


	8. Keeping Up With the Jones

When Kiku was finally gone, Matthew let out a deep sigh. “Helping him was the right thing to do. Even for Alfred.”

Matthew had been looking forward to Monday. It wasn’t just his official return to work after a draining heat, but a chance to meet the Japanese omega that everyone had been buzzing about.  Kiku was a bit of an idol amongst omegas at Beautiful World, even if he hadn’t been there long enough to truly earn that title. His position was groundbreaking alone. Getting to show Kiku something as simple as social media almost felt a little silly. Matthew’s job paled in comparison to everything Kiku would do, or even had done already. However after meeting the man, Matthew’s insecurities had fallen to the back burner within a couple of hours. While it had been a bit hectic to work around Kiku’s problem, he found he had enjoyed keeping a few secrets. The touch of espionage was an exciting change of pace.

He sat at his desk, propping his chin up on one hand and looked out the window. Even though he had no harsh feelings toward Kiku, he found himself still feeling jealous. The day Alfred told everyone he would be hiring an _omega_ to replace the employee they all couldn’t wait to throw out, Matthew was happy- even proud of his brother for taking such a radical step. But not even those positive emotions lasted long. That day, as  Matthew had watched Kiku’s calm demeanor fade into a panic over potential job loss, Matthew couldn’t help but wonder why he was never considered for the position. He knew he should feel grateful that he was even a manager and subdue his budding envy when Kiku was in desperate need for help. Still, thoughts of what skills he lacked that Alfred would consider worthy kept nagging at a corner of his mind.

Matthew wondered about other topics- like where Gilbert was. The alpha showing up unannounced during work hours was nothing unusual. He liked to pester everyone and visit his younger brother as though they never saw each other when Mr.Beilschmidt wasn’t at work. Matthew didn’t even have the slightest clue what Gilbert even did for a living that gave him this much free time. Even more importantly, he didn’t know what kept Gilbert hanging around the social media lounge so frequently.

Matthew’s thoughts on the weird alpha were cut as his brother came bounding into his office with zero warning. He fell out of his chair and collided with the floor after letting out a startled scream.

“Oops.” Alfred softly closed the door behind him.

 _Oops, huh?_ Matthew picked himself up, holding a hand over his nose, which throbbed painfully. He adjusted his glasses and rolled his eyes. Alfred had always had a habit with being inconsiderate in the smallest ways. Their dad frequently excused it as "just an alpha thing."

“Don’t do that again.” Matthew groaned.

"Just wanted to swing by and ask you about a few things, bro.” Alfred gave a lopsided smile. Something about the expression that usually looked so _normal_ on him felt off. The smile faltered a bit, but Alfred kept it up regardless. “How’d Kiku do?”

Ah, this was a question he should have assumed was coming. “Oh, he did very well today! He really got a grasp on my work and learned a lot of new things that I guess the other branch never taught him."

Come to think of it, he knew nothing about Kiku’s former workplace, other than it was much smaller. He should probably look into that one day.

Alfred came closer to his desk and leaned forward a little, placing both hands flat on the polished wooden surface. “There weren’t any problems?”

“No—“

“Okay.” Alfred interjected and waved his hand for Matthew to stop talking. “What the _fuck_ is that **_smell_**?”

Oh, yes. That. Alfred wasn’t always one to immediately detect the scent of an omega in heat. As odd as it was for an alpha and pretty ironic, there were times it took him a while to finally register scents in general. Matthew had to scramble for a plausible explanation fast. Other than blaming Alfred just being a bit clueless like usual. If he played his cards just right, he could easily get away with claiming it to be a new candle or air freshener just like he planned.

“You know all those cheap cherry blossom scented things you can find at dollar stores?” Alfred added to his commentary on the scent as he sniffed the air. Matthew had to withhold any reactions to Alfred unknowingly calling Kiku cheap. “It smells like that, but, like, the real thing. I gotta say, it’s kinda hot. The smell I mean."

Matthew couldn’t stop from coughing loudly and staring at Alfred in shock. He certainly didn’t see that response coming. “It's just some candle, but the smell is too strong- as you can tell.”

Years ago when Matthew was experiencing his first ever heat at the tender age of fourteen, he was home alone with the boisterous alpha and some assorted mansion staff that weren’t in the same room as them. All the signs of his unfortunate situation were there and clear as day, and Alfred had been none the wiser. He assumed it was some weirdly scented illness and helped Matthew up to his room so he could sleep it off. Alfred had meant well and Matthew was a tad bit grateful of course, but _really_?! Alfred could have heated omegas falling into his lap, begging him to please them, and he would be too oblivious to really know what was going on. Matthew only hoped that same obliviousness would help him out here.

They were locked in a silent staring match with Alfred appearing to think over what Matthew had said, and Matthew silently praying he’d accept the answer and move on. When Alfred finally reached a verdict, he opened his mouth, sounding pretty confused. “Why were you lighting candles in here? And what kind of candle smells so… sweet and inviting like that?”

Matthew wanted to gag so badly. He swallowed and quickly searched deep in his mind for any information that could make his lie more believable. “There’s some candles on the market that are made to reflect hormone smells and—“

“Ew!” Alfred interjected again and stuck out his tongue in disgust. “Don’t you think that’s pretty gross?!”

“Umm…” _You were the one just talking like you were in love with it._

There was a knock at the door. Matthew jumped out of his seat and opened it to be greeted by a returning Gilbert. A small sense of joy washed away his tension, and he gestured for Gilbert to follow him out into the lounge, knowing it could turn bad if Gilbert smelled Kiku again. Alfred followed them out without any prompting.

“Sorry I came back so late.” Gilbert said remorsefully as though he did something unforgivable.

Really, Matthew was glad for the reprieve from his brother’s small scale interrogation. He had never felt so thankful for Gilbert appearing. “It’s not like you promised to come back at a certain time.”

“What are you still doing here? Roderich left already, and so did your brother.” Alfred crossed his arms over his chest and fixed Gilbert with a tiny smile that was more teeth than eyes.

Alfred and Gilbert had a strange relationship. They didn’t hate each other— _thankfully_ — but they weren’t completely okay with one another either. Matthew wanted to blame it on some territorial bullshit, but he knew Alfred and Gilbert wouldn’t lower themselves that far. Plus, it seemed all of the odd contempt between them came only from Alfred. As much as he could be inconsiderate and clueless, he could also be overprotective at times; even when he knew Matthew wasn’t in any danger. Someone else might have found that endearing. Matthew saw it as more of a nuisance.

"I needed to ask Matt something." Gilbert spoke up clearly, having to bend his head up a little to look Alfred in the eye.

“Hmm…” Alfred looked at Gilbert from over the rim of his glasses. “What is this _something_?”

It would have taken a true idiot not to notice the emphasis his brother had put in his question. Whatever he was getting at, it wasn't very cute. The older alpha remained seemingly still in the wake of Alfred's attempts at intimidation. "It's nothing weird!" Gilbert beamed. "Just a hang out request."

_Hang out?_

Alfred pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Before you do that, I need to tell Matt something of my own."

“What is it now?” Matthew asked.

“We have a family meeting this evening.” Alfred frowned. “It's only between our parents, some aunts and uncles. So, nothing hugely dramatic.”

Family meetings were only called to announce three things: grave matters, a new addition to the family, or a huge financial decision. But with how few people would be present, it didn’t sound like anything to be terribly worried about. Matthew took Alfred’s word for it and nodded at him. "Where at?"

“Their estate outside of town. I’ll drive you there!” Alfred offered. As nice as it was, Matthew preferred going alone. Easier to slip away.

“I actually—“ But Alfred was Alfred, and he wasn’t going to accept any buts.

“I’ll be waiting for you when you’re done here!” He shouted as he rushed out the lounge and into the hall.

“Good thing what I wanted to ask doesn’t take place today.” Gilbert said as he leaned against one of the round pillars that were on either side of a long table.

Matthew, having almost forgotten Gilbert was still there, jumped at the sound of his voice. “Oh?”

“There’s this cabin in the woods my family owns, and I was wondering if you’d like to come with me one day!” Gilbert practically demanded with straightforward, unbridled enthusiasm in a way that only he could pull off.

It was like Matthew’s body was dipped in ice water as he processed the request. A cabin in the woods where likely no one would be around but them. A cabin in the woods where anything could happen. A few scenes from a recent campy horror movie he had watched replayed in his mind- followed by scenes from an even worse romcom. He wasn’t sure which outcome he would prefer.  What was Gilbert getting at exactly?! He couldn’t bring himself to reply, only opening and closing his mouth in failed speaking attempts. When the frustration of trying to under whatever was happening to him became too great, Matthew pressed his lips together and rubbed his forehead. It was far too strange and far too sudden. Gilbert was lucky Alfred wasn’t still here.

It took a few moments of Matthew blinking blankly at him for Gilbert’s excited expression morph into embarrassed horror. “Wait! I didn’t mean it like that!” Gilbert took a step back from Matthew, who still couldn’t string the right words together to say something back. The alpha’s face was gradually turning pink. “I meant that, well- there’s a big park in the area and other stuff! I just thought- It seems like something you’d be into!”

Matthew was still stunned. “Uh… Like what stuff, exactly?”

“W-well,” he paused, “there’s a little field hockey game over there every other Friday! Plus, they have hiking groups and trails around the forest!”

True, Matthew did enjoy such activities, and it had been a while since he went on any sort of trips into the wilderness. Some miles away from the bustling city was a decently sized forest he used to visit once every summer in his childhood. He hadn’t been there in a decade, though. Matthew had to ask. “What place are you talking about exactly?”

Gilbert’s awkwardness appeared to melt away when interest was shown in his plans. He smoothed his hair back and grinned. “It’s not too far away from here. Just to the north of town- have you been to Pinwheel Trail Park?"

What a major coincidence. Although, he didn’t really think Gilbert would take him out of state. Revisiting the forest sounded like a very pleasant idea... but going with Gilbert? “Admittedly, I know about that place already. My brother and I used to go there on the weekends, though,  sounds like they’ve added a lot of new stuff. I’d love to go, but I really need to think about it.”

Gilbert lit up brighter than the sun. “That’s awesome! Don’t feel like you gotta be in a rush or you can’t say no or whatever! Let me know what your answer is soon, okay?”

Since they already had each other’s phone numbers, Matthew could just text him. “Sure, I guess.”

A vibration coming from the pocket of Gilbert’s jacket got his attention. He pulled it out and looked at the screen, grimacing. “Sorry, Matt. I gotta go.”

“Oh, okay.”

Matthew watched Gilbert leave with much less enthusiasm than he had when he arrived. One part of him wanted to know why the alpha was so eager for Matthew to accompany him on a wilderness trip, but the other half was more curious to know why Gilbert left in such a disappointed fashion. The suddenness of his request and departure left Matthew standing there in silence for a couple of minutes, trying to understand what had just happened. Gilbert had always been weird, but lately he was getting stranger and stranger. When his moose-shaped clock chimed that it was well after hours, Matthew gave up and closed up the lounge. Alfred was probably getting sick of waiting for him anyway.

 _______________________________________________________________________

“Hey, bro! Took you awhile!” Alfred called out to him from his car.

Matthew crossed the parking lot with his bag slung over his shoulder, strap cutting across his chest. He gripped it and pulled it away. “Yeah, well I had some stuff to do.”

"It wasn't Gilbert I hope!" Alfred laughed noisily with no shame.

"Don't say crap like that!" Matthew moved towards him much faster.

Alfred didn’t need to really know about what had taken place between him and Gilbert. It was best he didn’t find out right away. Less of a headache for everyone.

Matthew opened the passenger door of the blue sports car. He shook his head when his twin was already peeling out of the parking lot the moment he clicked his seatbelt into place. Some rock song began blaring through the speakers, gaining a disgruntled yelp from Matthew. Alfred chuckled a bit but reached over to turn it down.

“Arthur had the same reaction. Sort of.”

This was normal for him then? Figures. “Arthur? What was he doing in your car?”

“Oh, yeah, we rode around looking at places and talking to people on Saturday.” Alfred replied nonchalantly. “Business stuff.”

That was odd to say the least. Alfred and Arthur had a bit of a strange workplace relationship- them doing something like that so casually together was pretty weird to Matthew. He could only wonder how Arthur managed to not kill him at the end of the day with the way Alfred was always out to aggravate the shorter omega.

“I can only hope you were on your best behav—“

“Oh, yeah. I washed the seat off so it doesn’t smell like him and his weird tea scents anymore.” Alfred threw him a mischievous smile and turned back to the road.

“Of course you did.” Why would Matthew expect the alpha to act any differently for a single day.

“Anyway, enough about Arthur.” Alfred groaned when they got caught at a red light. “Tell me, what did Gilbert ask you?”

Truly, he didn’t think it was any of Alfred’s business. Especially when Matthew himself hadn’t decided on his answer to Gilbert's request yet. Alfred would surely try to sway him to a certain answer with his… 'amazing' skills of persuasion. Along with a heightened sense of untrustworthiness between the two alphas over the recent past, all Matthew could see coming from telling Alfred would be an argument. He couldn’t completely fault Alfred for his occasional urge to watch over him like a hawk- that trait stemmed directly back to their dad.

“Like he said, it was just to hang out. I don’t think we’ve ever hung outside of work, though.” He shouldn’t have said that.

“You two are a weird pair of friends.” It was an unexpected response, but admittedly, not unfavorable. He sounded awfully amused by his own observations. “Never thought you’d wanna hang out with him. No offense to Gilbert! But you’re almost invisible sometimes. And he’s so- you know,” Alfred took his hands off the wheel momentarily to mime some sort of explosion, with bonus sound effects. “In your face!”

Matthew clenched his fist around the handle of the door. The car continued speeding forward. Alfred wasn’t wrong at all, but it still stung. Especially when it was coming from the person who unknowingly stole away a lot of attention. It had been that way for as long as Matthew could remember. _Another perk of being high on the social chain_ , he seethed in silent annoyance.

“There’s nothing wrong with a little quiet sometimes.” Matthew said, glaring at the buildings they drove past.

“Hey, wait!” Alfred suddenly exclaimed, and Matthew feared whatever realization had caused him to burst out like that. “I think I know what the meeting is about!”

He took instant notice to the subtle note of displeasure in his brothers tone and turned his head to look at the other man. “Care to explain how you pieced it together?"

Alfred turned onto a less busy road, most likely looking for ways to escape the traffic. “‘Was thinking about Saturday when I remembered Mr.Miller. Then, I remembered what I told Arthur that evening. _Then_ , I remembered those bitchy alphas who believe they own my ass.”

Matthew knew exactly who he was talking about. Those very same alphas never gave him the time of day unless they absolutely had to. If he were in Kiku’s position, they’d most likely be looking to crack their proverbial whips down on Alfred even harder. He wouldn’t wish that upon his brother.

“What’d they say to you that would cause any kind of fuss amongst the family?” Matthew asked, very intrigued.

Alfred let out a defeated sigh. “Okay, so I told Arthur already, and Toris knows since he was in the room with me when they first told me this bullshit. You’re the second person to know technically."

Matthew couldn’t fathom why what he was going to drop on him needed to be prefaced like that, but it only made him more anxious.

“If I don’t get rid of Kiku by Friday, they’ll spread some disgusting rumor that he’s sleeping with me to keep his job.”

Matthew was completely stunned. His Monday was going far differently than he had hoped, and it was only getting worse. More importantly, _what_?! The audacity of them to make such a threat was unbelievable! How were they not fired yet? In shock, he stared at Alfred, who was focused on the road. Still, Matthew could read the tight set of his jaw and narrowing of his eyes. Few things could openly get under his brother’s skin and force him to express his anger in even the smallest ways. Those corporate alphas, who frankly should’ve been well on their way to retirement and giving up their investments, were one of the things that made Alfred show almost completely unrestrained disgust. It seems they had really gone and done it now.

“You think they’ve told our parents? Or Mr.Miller was told, and he shared it with them?” Matthew asked with growing concern.

Alfred shrugged. The smell of gunpowder in the car became noticeably thick. It was a scent Matthew was extremely familiar with, despite having only smelled it three separate times in his life. There was the incident where Matthew was being bullied on their elementary school playground- Alfred and his fists had came to his rescue. Another time when the alpha had been left waiting on his food for too long in a restaurant, causing him to become ridiculously agitated. The third and most memorable time involved one of the worst encounters with Ivan. No one had gotten hurt physically, but the smell of Alfred’s anger combined with the smothering, musky odor that was Ivan’s irritation was too much for any omega within a few feet of them. It was an incredibly terrifying moment, and the worst he had ever seen him. Their father wouldn’t appreciate it if Alfred arrived so clearly unnerved.

With the alpha being abnormally quiet, Matthew’s mind wandered into the dangerous territory. Why had Alfred told _Arthur_ of all people first? Instead of Matthew, who had far more stake in this risk? It felt as though Alfred had no plans of ever telling him about the  drastic situation the other alphas had tied him up with. In order to escape those thoughts, Matthew searched for a change of topics that would ease them both. “Did you know Erika in the social media department has a big crush on you?”

The thick scent quickly disappeared, but Alfred was still frowning. It was an incredibly random thing to bring up with no prompting, but it did its job well.

“Ugh!” Alfred gagged. “In the many policies of Beautiful World, I have one specifically stating that dating your boss is strictly off limits! I would like things to stay professional.”

Matthew inwardly snickered. Alfred and professionalism were an unheard of combination. “Isn’t that how mom and dad met? At work?”

“They sure did, but it wasn’t at BW.” Alfred reminded him.

“Oh, that’s right. She was a secretary when they met, too.” Matthew dug up a faint memory of their mother telling them about the story of their fateful meeting as they neared the city limits.

“Exactly.” Alfred pointed his thumb at himself. “Me? I would much rather not date some secretary who thinks everything is like those cheesy romance novels or chick flicks. Nor would I date some boring, old receptionist.”

“Oh? Is _that_ what you think they do all day?” Matthew tried teasing him, but it naturally went right over his head. “Also... do you think receptionists and secretaries are the same?”

There were times were it felt like Alfred talked as though the movies he watched were interchangeable with real life. These were some of the times Matthew truly longed to understand just what was going on inside his head.

“Toris is nothing like what I’m talking about. 

Arthur on the other hand?” Alfred snorted. “I’ve walked by his desk plenty of times only to catch him reading some crappy romance book.”

Matthew had witnessed plenty of that himself. There were also the times he caught Arthur staring off dreamily at nothing. Matthew had a hidden love for romantic stories, but he hoped he had never drifted of similarly in public. Old stories about a pair of lovers running off to a cabin in the woods flooded his mind, and he instantly regretted everything. Thankfully, Alfred was back to being his motormouth self, continuing the conversation while Matthew awkwardly toyed with his bag in his lap. Chances are, Alfred would hardly even notice Matthew’s lack of input on what sort of tastes he had for potential partners. Even though he never actually said exactly what sort of person he would like- Matthew contributed that to the fact his brother would never be able to stand being in a relationship- Alfred still found plenty to say.

Matthew idly thought of what he looked for in a mate. Quickly, he realized that he had never really put any serious consideration into it. While his sibling had had quite a few flings here and there, Matthew had only dated two people. The latter of the two lasted much longer-- and was even getting a bit serious before things were called off. That was three years ago, though. Matthew and Alfred were now twenty-four. Questions about finding a lover were unfortunately becoming more and more common from family. He feared the possibility of them bringing that up at the meeting alongside what Alfred had expected.

It didn’t take too long for the sour mood to dissipatecompletely, the rest of their drive filled with banter about plans for the spring festival. It had been pushed back three times already thanks to some hellish work conditions, but those had long since passed. Alfred was getting the ball moving at an unexpectedly fast pace. “You’re welcome to be the announcer for it.”

“Me? Be the guy who has to stand up on the stage and talk to the crowd?” Matthew asked incredulously.

“Yeah!” Alfred turned to him for a second to flash his thousand watt smile. “Don’t see why not.”

He had just been talking about how he blended into the background a few minutes ago, and now wanted to give him a position that would put in the center of attention? It was the second most surprising thing offered to him that day, and he gave the same answer. “Um… I’ll think about it.”

“Sure, dude! Just let me know an answer before next week.”

They had entered a neighborhood made up of sprawling lawns and high fences with gated driveways on either side. Enormous houses lay further back, typically shrouded by the private shade of trees. Everything was drowning in money and luxury. Coming from a family of businessmen and women meant the rich scenery was nothing unfamiliar to the twins.  Despite that, Matthew still couldn’t find anything too homely about surrounding oneself with their riches. He preferred something more rustic- and a lot smaller.

Alfred turned into the beginning of a driveway patterned with red stones, stopping at the gate. Seconds later, they were welcomed as the black iron gradually pushed open. A nasty feeling began blossoming in the pit of Matthew’s stomach as they slowly crept closer to the two story main building.

The champagne-beige house felt so uninviting compared to other visits he’d made. The construction was similar to that of a southern plantation home. Their father was weirdly fascinated with the design- its roomy porches, and pristine white columns looming over there while it all screamed of wealth and power. As the car rounded the circle at the end of the driveway, Matthew peered into the large white-paned windows that opened in to the living room. He noticed a few familiar faces but couldn’t linger for long. Alfred was looking for a place to park in the lot off to the side of the house. With a few frustrated groans and complaints about their other family member’s parking skills, Alfred squeezed into a spot between two other just as expensive and well polished cars.

Getting out first, Alfred dryly remarked, “This is gonna be loads of fun.”

Matthew followed him after fishing his phone out of his bag. There was a message from Gilbert he had received ten minutes ago, lighting up the screen.

 _Here’s a link to the park’s page!_ _Thought you might wanna see it ;)_

He pretended not to notice the winking emoji at the end of his text. Gilbert had an interesting love affair with ill thought out emoji usage. Pushing that aside, Matthew prepared to open the text and thank him for thinking of that. He suddenly became aware of pressure on his left shoulder, forcing him to whip his head around and unfortunately let go of his phone. He heard the device hit the pavement but wasn’t too interested in that when _his nosy brother had been looking at his phone_.

Matthew glared at him, but that did nothing. Alfred simply moved away chuckling to himself. “Don’t let them know about him~ they’ll start jumping to _conclusions_.”

Matthew knew exactly what he meant, and he was completely right. Alfred walked ahead, leaving Matthew to pick up his fallen device (that thankfully wasn’t damaged). He was surprised Alfred had no further comments on what he had most definitely saw from Gilbert, but he was also just as glad.

They walked into the foyer. It was immaculate as ever, colored mostly white and decorated with stuffy looking leather furniture. A small child came bounding down the grand staircase on the left side of the room. Along with the excited giggles of their youngest cousin, Marshal, they also heard soft chatter from the living room. Marshal ran up to Alfred and was picked up the alpha who lifted him in the air for a second before putting him back down. Matthew gave the child a gentle hello as his own greeting. Marshal turned away and ran back up the stairs where the other children’s voices could be heard. The atmosphere felt so strangely welcoming compared to the fears boiling in his stomach only minutes ago. Matthew swallowed and steeled himself up for whatever awaited them in the other room.

Various family members were seated on the white, floral couches. Their parents shared a loveseat towards the front of the room, but were quick to stand up when their eyes met their son’s. Everyone else turned to look at them then back to their dad. It seemed there’d be no other warm welcomes from their older relatives. His previous fears didn’t stay almost dead for long.

Their father sighed. “Let’s get started shall we?”

Matthew and Alfred took their places on a couch off to the side of the ornate coffee table no one was sitting at. It felt like the perfect position to have all the judging eyes of their family locked onto them. Matthew turned his attention to the lavish paintings and statues around the room; a lame attempt at ignoring everyone else. He didn’t have slightest inkling of a clue of what he could have possibly done to deserve any of this.

“Miller and I have been talking,” Their dad began, “and he has connections with BW’s investors. So, they’ve been talking as well.”

Their father had a voice that demanded attention, even when he wasn’t speaking roughly or yelling. A trait that Matthew failed to inherit. He took in the expensive well pressed suit he was wearing, and his perfectly combed dark blond hair. As he spoke sternly, Matthew watched his face closely. He didn't look a day over thirty-five with his mature, sharp features that rivaled the softer appearance of Matthew himself. He didn't look anything like him. The sudden inferiority caused him to avert his attention once more.

“I want this business to expand and be passed down through the generations without anything dragging it through the dirt.” He leaned forward a little, mostly keeping his concentration on Alfred. “Do I make myself clear?”

Weirdly enough, their father inherited leadership over Beautiful World from someone he had no family ties to. Matthew tried subtly hiding behind his brother, while Alfred almost made a tool of himself. “Yeah, but I don’t see what that has to do with anything, dad? I’m handling matters just fine!”

"This Honda situation is most certainly not one hundred percent fine.” He said, tone strict.

_Here it comes._

“I really feel like I shouldn’t have let you do this. He doesn’t have any valuable experience in the workplace necessary for his position as head supervisor. Even if it has its connections to omega qualities. A lot of your hiring choices have been questionable at best."

Wait. _Was that it?_ Matthew shrugged off the jab made at the dynamic he shared with Kiku, but it admittedly still stung a bit.

“Kiku has made it through the first week without any problems.” Alfred fired back. “He was with Matthew all day today- he can attest for the kind of worker Kiku is."

Alfred turned to Matthew and all focus was on him again. Put on the spot, he took in a deep breath to steady himself before quietly speaking. “Yes, it’s true. He… caught on really fast.”

Their father didn’t look thoroughly impressed, but there was a hint of surprise in his posture. Alfred took the pause to get in another word, defending himself from their dad’s opinions. “As for my other hires like Ludwig, I know they aren’t on my level of success, but a lot of the older guys left when I took over. They were super loyal to you.”

He fixed Alfred with a scrutinizing gaze as though he was visually picking him apart. Alfred didn’t budge or flinch, maintaining his posture perfectly. Regardless of how small of a detail it was to most, sitting up so correctly was something the alpha only did when facing down another alpha. Matthew would have been bewildered by the lack of fighting between the two if it hadn’t been for the fact that he already knew why they weren’t ripping each other’s throats out by now.

“I assume his workload has been incredibly simple so far. What are you going to do when the work becomes more complex?" Their father's voice was gaining a stronger timbre.

“What did those yet-to-be retired old hags say to Mr. Miller that got back to you?” Alfred dodged the question with one of his own.

“That’s not important.” He stated flatly.

“Alfred!” Their mom chastised him. “Don’t be so crass!"

Matthew didn’t like the sound of that. He couldn’t help wondering if this was all a talk to steer Alfred in the direction of firing Kiku. For someone who was no longer working, their dad was still heavily involved with the company. He might as well have continued his career.

The back and forth argument over whether or not Alfred was incompetent continued seamlessly. Matthew lost interest in his surroundings, wishing for nothing more than to be at home. He glanced at their sharply dressed beta mother through sleepy eyes and hushed his brain as it wanted to form comparisons between them. She sat back and let their dad do all the speaking, just like Matthew was saying nothing. He convinced himself that it was only because nothing was relevant to him— _yet_ anyway.

“I'm only being realistic about the future, Alfred. You should try doing that sometime.”

Alfred pressed himself against the back of the couch, a sign of possibly letting go of the conversation. “Yes, sir.”

Their aunts and uncles who were loosely  involved with BW said their own thoughts on the matter at hand, and with each one, Matthew received a sharp reminder that he was the only omega in the family. Many of them weren’t intimately familiar with the plights that affected him in his daily life. It was an indirect blow to his self esteem every time they made it clear omegas were trouble in high positions. Alfred had most likely had that drilled into his head since day one, and judging by the firm press of Alfred’s hand against his thigh, he was getting pretty sick of it. Who could blame him? Matthew was getting pretty sick himself.

“He won’t have any heats. He said he hasn’t had one since he was in his twenties.” Alfred sighed, giving Matthew the impression that he had repeated this more than once.

Matthew ignored the way his stomach twisted up at what Alfred had said. He hoped the topic would veer away from the subject of Kiku and heats. In general, not talking about heats would be just fine with him.

Aunt Melanie spoke up next. “How does he know that? Does he have doctor’s confirmation?"

Alfred chuckled awkwardly. “Um… no?”

Everyone but Matthew rolled their eyes or expressed their annoyance in some other silent way. Matthew couldn’t give Alfred any hell for not doing something as simple as that when he had never thought of it himself. The uncomfortable twisting in his gut returned at the thought of Kiku going to a doctor and returning with the unfortunate news that he was still very much capable of having heats. He couldn’t let that happen.

“Actually!” Matthew blurted out so unexpectedly that his brain needed a moment to think about what he was _actually_ going to say. “T-the truth is, Kiku is going to see a doctor to verify his claim. Soon. Next week.”

Alfred faced him, looking incredibly surprised. He raised his eyebrows high enough for one of them to disappear in his bangs. “Huh…?” was all his brother could say.

Matthew tried forcing a confident smile, but his bottom lip wouldn’t stop trembling and formed a clumsy half smile instead. “Yeah! Kiku was talking about it with me today and wanted to know if I knew of any good doctors in the area.”

Matthew peeked over at their parents and quickly looked around the other faces in the room. Everyone was silent as they considered this new information. Alfred’s shocked face began to change into a happier expression.

“See?” He cheerfully beamed. “Kiku is responsible and knows what he’s doing!”

There was further silence until their father finally said something. “We’ll see about that.”

That was the last thing said on the subject. Matthew wanted to feel relieved, but there would be no relief for either of them when the next focal point of the meeting was exactly what they had feared. Talks about how they needed to find a partner as though the world would end if they remained single. 

Something so insignificant in Matthew’s eyes was treated like a big deal by his relatives thanks to some old fashioned ideals they couldn’t manage to let go of. He felt like part of the fault lay in the fact that he was the only omega they were closest to. So, of course, they came down on him even harder for continuing to live alone. They really had no idea how to talk to him at all sometimes, and he hated it. The constant ‘When I was your age…’ drove him up the wall. Luckily, they didn’t say any of that this time. Regardless, he still didn’t appreciate any of these outdated expectations weighing him down.

From what he could see in his brother’s face, it was pretty clear to Matthew that everything they said about the importance of family traveled into one ear and left out the other.  It would seem their dad really meant it when he said he wanted the business to be passed down from generation to generation. Something that felt so cliche was a big dream of his, huh…? Matthew passively started scheming up ridiculous methods to turn back time so he and his brother would predict different topics for the family meeting. Harmless ones that didn’t involve any belittling.

When their Uncle Anderson got in the final word about the dating methods he used to get his alpha wife in an attempt to lighten the mood, their father held his hand up. “I think that’ll be it for this evening. Consider everything we’ve told you wisely.”

The twins nodded in unison, keeping their silence as Matthew scanned for a quick escape route. They truly learned nothing of value that evening; all their time was wasted. A bitter taste formed in the back of Matthew’s throat, and he felt the strongest need to wash his mouth out. He swallowed a thick lump and eyed the ugly brown rug beneath his feet, hanging his head low.

No one seemed to notice as Aunt Laura got up to announce news of a recent engagement. Alfred had no desire to stick around for such a thing and stood up. “Mattie and I really need to get going.”

Matthew peeked through a space in his bangs, looking up at his twin with hopeful eyes. Their mother stood up as well and made her way over, arms outstretched for a hug.

“I suppose it’s best you leave now so you can rest up for another workday.” She smiled sweetly and hugged Alfred first before switching over to her parenting tone. “You better watch your mouth, Al.”

Alfred gave her a cheeky grin. “Sure thing, mom.”

Matthew watched him walk back into the foyer at a quick clip as he got up to hug his mother goodbye as well. While she wrapped her arms around him, Matthew could smell the thick sweetness of her perfume, and he certainly noticed their father’s eyes on him.

“Please, watch out for your brother.” She whispered into his ear and pulled away.

Their other relatives waved goodbye as, Matthew joined Alfred in front of the door to leave. Once they stepped outside, Matthew felt a huge pressure lift off his shoulders. He gazed at the darkening sky and setting sun, content to be away from them with no obligation to return anytime soon. They walked out to Alfred’s car without saying a word about the previous events until getting in.

“That was a load of crap!” Alfred shook his head as he started the vehicle. “I can handle this just fine on my own.”

Their mother might have told him to watch over Alfred, but Matthew was not his protector or babysitter. He faintly recalled times he overheard their dad telling Alfred to live up to his alpha dynamic and be the watchful guardian over Matthew. Interesting roles to give them.

Alfred pulled out of the driveway and ended up in front of the gate again, waiting to take his leave. Hoping Alfred would be too frustrated and distracted with driving, Matthew pulled out his phone to look at Gilbert’s message without interruption. He busied himself on the drive back into the city by scrolling through the website. Nothing was truly sinking in. Matthew blamed his lack of focus on being tired, even if he didn’t feel sleepy. Somewhere in the section about the field hockey events, Alfred decided that he couldn’t keep quiet for too long and opened his mouth to say something. It wasn’t anything Matthew was expecting.

“Ugh, I just remembered something.”

Matthew looked at him from over the rim of his glasses. “What?”

“Arthur isn’t at work, and that stupid replacement I hate is there tomorrow.” Alfred frowned.

What an odd thing to say… An amusing thought that Matthew wouldn’t dare speak out loud crossed his mind. _Do you miss him already?_

“She’s really stuck up and pops her gum way too loudly.” Alfred complained, making Matthew wonder who was the one to even accept her as a replacement receptionist whenever she was free. “She’s also been whiny about calls from Berwald’s place. There’s been a lot of them, and things don’t sound too good right now.”

Matthew was now fully invested in the conversation. “What do you mean?”

Alfred laughed it off. “Oh, it’s nothing a good boss like me can’t handle!”

“Sure…”

There was so much happening in such a short amount of time, and thinking about it for too long made Matthew dizzy. In some moments, he felt a longing to return back to the life he had before being made manager of the social media department.

“Hey, can you drop me off at the little book store on Twelfth Avenue?” Despite all the yearning to go home and be free of the day’s nonsense, he didn’t want to go home immediately just yet. The sudden urge wasn’t too strange if he thought about how often he visited the place in his downtime. It was a pretty calming place. “I need to look at a few things.”

“Got it!”

The traffic on a Monday night luckily wasn’t as bad as the traffic in the afternoon, meaning Alfred was able to reach his destination quickly. “See you tomorrow, bro!”

Matthew stood on the sidewalk with his bag slung over his shoulder, waving his sibling off. He turned to face the storefront, ready to walk in, forget his stupid troubles, and maybe do a reread of the novel about an axe wielding girl who rides polar bears. Yeah, that was a really nice book. The ghost of a smile appeared on his face but was quickly dropped when a low groan reached his ears. His skin prickled-  it seemed to be coming from the alleyway beside the shop. He shifted his weight to the left a little and noticed the faint outline of a figure sitting against the building. Walking a little closer, Matthew was able to pick up the details. Choppy white hair, and an oversized jacket shifted in the glow of a street lamp. Matthew gasped, approaching the figure with caution.

“Shit…” It was Gilbert. He knew his somewhat nasally voice too well. “That bastard owes me more than this…”

“Gilbert…?” Matthew called out softly.

The alpha was startled. He jumped up, trying to stand on his feet but fell back over, clutching his side. “Fuck!”

“Gilbert!” Matthew ran up to him and kneeled down beside his hunched over frame.

There was enough light for him to notice a couple of bruises on his face, dried blood congealing from a recent nosebleed. Gilbert turned his face away to hide from Matthew, a scraped up hand going to cover his mouth as if that would make the injuriesdisappear. A million and one questions buzzed through Matthew’s head as he observed the clearly pained alpha. All needs of the comfort and warmth of the bookstore were abandoned in his haste to make sure Gilbert didn’t need an ambulance. Matthew raised a hand towards Gilbert's face to examine his wounds better, but Gilbert jerked away.

“What happened to you?!” He knew the other man was reckless and had heard some stories of his adolescence from Roderich and Mr.Beilschmidt. Did he pick a fight with someone? Matthew wouldn’t put that past Gilbert, or maybe he had been mugged-

“I’m fine.” Gilbert slowly positioned himself back into his sitting arrangement and lifted a shaky hand to rub at his cheek.

 _Fine my ass_. Matthew wasn’t buying an obvious lie. “Why are you all banged up in an alley?!”

“It’s no big deal really-”

“ _Gilbert_.” Matthew said firmly. “ _What happened?_ ”

While he still felt very concerned, Matthew was also growing more annoyed with Gilbert’s lying by the second. He wasn’t about to just leave someone he knew all by themselves in a mostly dark alley on a cold night. Especially when they were injured.

Gilbert still wasn’t planning on telling him any specifics. “This is just a product of the daily grind, you can say. Just another Friday night- I’m pretty used to it.”

The million and one questions doubled. Did he really fight people like it was no big deal?! What did that mean?! Was Gilbert secretly an escort with a bad client-? Matthew pinched the bridge of his nose. There was no novel he could ever read that could build up a fateful meeting as bizarre and unnerving as this.

“Well, if you’re going to be that way about it, let me bandage you up at least. My place isn’t too far from here. We can just take a taxi-” Matthew’s offer was cut off by an embarrassed Gilbert grabbing his wrist. Why did he look like that anyway?

“No!” Gilbert caught himself after the abrupt shout, pulling back. “I-I can take a taxi to my own place! I can’t just go and be an ass by having you drag me into your apartment to heal some boo-boos. I’ll take care of that myself.”

Matthew fixed Gilbert with a halfhearted glare. He was being so strangely difficult. “How do you expect to move around on your own…?”

The alpha pressed one hand against the ground and wrapped his other arm around himself. Matthew watched him slide against the brick wall of the store until he was shakily standing with the help of the building. Gilbert flashed him a half smile and moved his arm away from his side, letting it fall limp. “I can stand fine, can’t I?”

Before Matthew could point out the truth that Gilbert was having a grand time ignoring, his body began tilting precariously. Matthew jumped forward and caught him just in time, saving the alpha from having an unfortunate face-to-face with the cement. Gilbert hissed in pain when Matthew gripped his arm.

“I’m sorry.” Matthew squeaked and raised the tone of his voice. He knew he could never be truly threatening or forceful, but with a little effort, Gilbert would most likely give in, doing what was best for his health. “I’ll take you home in a taxi and help you inside.”

“Weren’t you doing things that were probably more important?”

“Gilbert…” Matthew said, exasperated by his antics already.

He attempted a more honest smile. “Yeah, that’s fine, I guess.”

It was a blessing that it didn’t take much more to convince the irresponsible alpha. With a little help from Gilbert, Matthew managed to sling one of his arms over his shoulders and kept a gentle hold around Gilbert’s waist, not wanting to cause him anymore discomfort. He slumped against Matthew’s shoulder, and for a rare moment, Matthew was increasingly aware of the very slight height difference between them. It was only a couple of centimeters, but it still set off a funny feeling inside Matthew. Being taller than alphas wasn’t too unusual for him, but comparing himself to Gilbert felt odd.

“Are you okay?” Matthew was snapped away from his train of thought, looking at an uneasy Gilbert.

“It’s nothing.” He quickly brushed away any worries. “Let’s just hurry up and go to my place.”

“Okay…”

Getting him onto the sidewalk was a task easier said than done. The same could be said about trying to support him as they stood together, waiting for a cab to come their way. Matthew had always assumed him to be a lankier person, but he could feel solid muscles shifting under his shirt. Somehow they always slipped past his awareness- probably because Gilbert had a tendency to wear loose clothes this time of year.

Once Matthew was able to successfully call down a cab, he helped the injured man climb in. Gilbert slid over to the far side of the seats, leaving him to sit on the opposite end. It seemed a bit awkward to be so far apart from each other, but Matthew didn’t push it. Gilbert gave the driver his address quietly. Matthew pretended not to notice him shooting several glances at Matthew the whole time. From what was said, he managed to put together that Gilbert resided in the part of town his parents would call the wrong side of the tracks. But thinking of him— or anybody— that way was far too mean. The possibility of Gilbert feeling ashamed due to his living conditions didn't make Matthew feel as bad as the idea that Gilbert probably feared judgement from Matthew.

For a good while, Gilbert didn’t say a word. He only leaned against the door with his head pressed against the window, staring out at nothing in particular. Matthew looked at his reflection, seeing the anger that drew the other’s face into a tight grimace. He pushed down the urge telling him to ask what was troubling Gilbert- he doubted that would go well. So he kept quiet. He wouldn’t even know where to start.

Luckily he didn’t have to be the first to break the tension. Gilbert breathed out,. “Sorry you had to see me like this tonight… Not a great impression, huh?”

"It’s no problem at all, really.” Matthew assured him, speaking barely above a whisper. Something about the confined space was comforting, but there was a delicateness to the moment that he didn’t want to break. “My day has been a wild ride, this is one of the better moments." He softly laughed.

Gilbert twisted his abdomen around as much as he could to face Matthew. “What happened to you?"

He felt like he was being overly dramatic for thinking about it, but as much as Gilbert had his visible wounds on the outside, Matthew could still feel the sting of the hidden ones his family gave him. “Some issues that I can take care of on my own. Just like you.”

“You’re helping me right now despite my stubbornness. Sure I can’t return the favor?" Gilbert gave him a lopsided grin.

His offer felt so honest and real that it stunned Matthew for a few seconds. Gilbert had already helped indirectly by telling Feliciano about Kiku’s unexpected heat.

“No, I’ll be good.”

They arrived at Gilbert’s place of residency. It was a plain brick building- three floored and illuminated by flickering streetlights. A few windows were webbed with cracks, ready to shatter at any moment. Shrouded in nearly complete darkness, the long building looked pretty intimidating. Matthew climbed out of the taxi first, waiting as Gilbert paid he fee so he could help him out. A wave of fatigue poured over him suddenly. He would definitely be going straight home once this unexpected adventure was over.

Matthew pulled Gilbert out by the hand and helped him into the same position they were in before getting the taxi.

“Hey, don’t mention this to Luddy?” Gilbert motioned his head for them to start moving toward the entrance beyond the chain link fence. “He would kill me if he found out.”

“I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume Roderich is off limits, too?” Matthew teased lightly, mostly to ease his own tense body.

“Oh! Definitely him!” Gilbert glowered straight ahead. “He’s nothing but a big tattletale."

The rest of Matthew’s time helping him into his apartment was spent with Gilbert mocking the uptight omega who was also his cousin. There was something freeing about being able to rant about one’s family- Matthew wished he could join in so easily.

As though the day decided to show him some much needed mercy, Gilbert’s room was on the first floor which meant no dragging up the stairs or squeezing into an elevator. After some careful navigating, they stopped at a door at the end of the left hallway, Gilbert slowly removed his key and unlocked the door. It swung open on its own, allowing Matthew to peer inside. Of course, there were no lights on, and the curtains were drawn so there was really nothing to see. Gilbert, however, apparently knew the layout of is apartment well enough to guide Matthew to what he assumed was a sofa in the living room. His knee bumped into a table, jostling a few random items on it.

When Gilbert had been seated properly, he spoke. Matthew may not have been able to see it, but he could hear the smile in his voice. “Sorry again for making you go through all this crap for me.”

“I was only doing what was right.” There was a small silence before Matthew felt it was time he go home. “I should probably be going now. I’ll see you… whenever…?”

On his way out, Matthew hit the light switch by habit but didn’t bother turning back to see Gilbert or the apartment. He hastily made his way out of the building, momentarily berating himself over what a weird way to say bye that was. Out of a nervous habit, Matthew curled the ends of his hair around his finger and paced the cracked pavement, kicking at some weeds that pushed through the concrete. Now, he needed to find his own way home. A bus stop bench was only a few yards ahead of him in a better lit part of the neighborhood. _I guess things are going better for me after all_.

The second to last bus of the night took him to a street close enough to his own apartment. Matthew walked briskly through the chilly air, placing his hands in his pockets. His building came into view along with another familiar sight. Alfred’s car. Matthew’s pace slowed to a complete stop as he stood on the other side of the street, looking at his brother who was getting out of the car. The metal shone ominously in the light. With no other choice, Matthew made his way across the road to see what Alfred had stopped by for.

“Alfred?” Matthew asked, confused.

Alfred held out his hand, and Matthew gasped at the realization that it was his phone. Which meant he hadn’t had his phone on him since being dropped off at the store.

“You left this in my car.” Alfred explained. There was something in his carefully neutral expression Matthew didn’t trust.

“Oh, thanks.” Matthew had just barely made contact with the device when Alfred’s expression morphed into a shit eating grin that made him want to toss it into a nearby sewer grate.

“By the way, what’s this message from Gilbert? Thanks, I promise it won’t happen again? What did you do that was deserving of that message, Mattie?"


	9. Troublesome Paradise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to a lot that's been going in not only my life, but my editors' lives as well, this chapter has only been partially beta read. I apologize for any inconveniences now or in the future.

Beautiful World’s Northern European branch was unusually slow-paced that afternoon. From the second floor balcony overlooking the lobby, Lukas watched his coworkers meander listlessly. Berwald hadn’t given him much to do, which he didn't appreciate at all. In times like this, he almost wished he could be back at home early to spend time with his teenage brother, Emil. But that would be pointless anyway- Emil was in school at the moment. Lukas ran a hand through his hair and rolled his eyes at himself. How was a supervisor left feeling workless?

“Lukas!”

Oh, good. Something much worse than boredom was making its way up to him.

From the right side of him came his _f_ _avorable_ coworker, _Magnus_. They didn’t have the best workplace relationship. All of that thanks to years of history Lukas was hit with every time Magnus wanted to talk to him about non-business matters. It wasn’t such a bad thing to want your childhood friend to keep his distance from you on the job and quit causing such ridiculous distractions. Which he was undoubtedly preparing to do just now.

“Don’t you have better things to do, PR guy?" Lukas asked without looking at him.

“Huh?” Magnus paused in his gleeful stride towards Lukas. “Not really. I’m on break!”

Lukas scoffed. “Lucky me.”

Magnus continued walking and stopped when he was an arm’s length away. Lukas was thankful that the rambunctious alpha at least remembered to keep a respectful distance from him. They were the only two on the balcony, leaning over the railing. The only sounds came from the soft chatter of colleagues, their footsteps and ringing phones. Through a small gap in his bangs, Lukas could see that Magnus may have had his head turned forward, but his eyes were most certainly on Lukas. If he didn’t know any better, he’d feel safe assuming that Magnus purposely came and sought him out somehow.

“Today has been so damn slow.” The alpha groaned. “Ber’ and Tino have been super busy and they won’t tell me what’s up.”

“Don’t be nosy then.” Lukas stated.

“Things have been super weird here lately!” Magnus finally turned to look at Lukas fully, but Lukas didn’t return the eye contact. “I think it’s because of all the rumors people have been spreading about Tino.”

Even if Lukas found Magnus to be a competent worker who was strangely often just as dumb, he had to agree with him there. Without a doubt, they worked at the best branch with the most equal balance amongst the dynamics. Anyone could guess that just based off of Berwald allowing his omega mate to be second-in-command. Lukas was silently thankful for having the opportunity to work under Berwald with all the nasty things he heard about the Beautiful World in east Asia, and the moderately okay American branch. He didn’t always know what was true. Though he refrained from joining in on gossip about the injustices elsewhere, he didn't doubt that some of what they said held some amount of truth in it. The news already did a great job of showcasing the trials and horrors of omegas around the world.

Many of the balances amongst the dynamics in his workplace was most likely due to the preexisting equalities in their region of Europe. However, things certainly weren’t always picture perfect. The uglier ways of thinking made themselves known in headlines of the tasteless business magazines that wanted to give their ever so Beautiful World a bad name, talking down any and all successes with claims that Tino was just swaying others with his ‘ _omega wiles_.’ It was a phrase that made Lukas want to puke. That was only scratching the surface of nasty remarks made against them, but he didn’t like thinking about stuff like that. It was an unprecedented miracle of some divine being that Tino could keep himself in check so well. The same went for Berwald. Lukas frequently caught his jaw tighten at the increasing accusations thrown at them.

“Those idiots are small in number so what’s there to worry about?” Lukas asked, not really looking for an answer.

“But they’re pretty loud!” Magnus huffed. "And as head of public relations, I do believe it is my right to have a much clearer picture of what's going on around here. Since, ya' know, things are already sorta ugly."

“The stupid ones are always the loudest.” Lukas bit his tongue to keep from making any mean spirited connections to Magnus.

The alpha was ready to launch into a retort when he was cut off by the alarm coming from both their phones. The ringtone he had set up for the purpose of knowing when Berwald was calling or texting from the phone he used for work. Magnus only copied him. Magnus whipped his phone out of the inner pocket of his suit jacket and groaned.

“We have an emergency meeting to go to right now.” He pocketed the device, his tone a bit more cheerful. “Maybe they’ll finally tell us what the hell has been going on!”

Lukas said nothing in response and started walking towards the elevator. He was about to check for the meeting room number, but Magnus stopped him.

“It’s the big meeting room on the fifth floor, bud—“ Magnus abruptly cut himself off.

Lukas snapped his head up to eye the other man with great suspicion in his gaze. Magnus looked sheepish for a bit but said nothing, moving faster towards the elevator which he naturally felt the need to leave open for Lukas. There was only a small grunt from him in recognition of the act, and he got in as well.

_______________________________________________________________________

The meeting room of choice had one wall made of thick windows and another taken up by a  large marker board. For the purposes of this meeting, the board was mostly covered with charts and graphs, along with various quotes from their most influential critics. Lukas looked over the long oval table in the center of the room to see quite a few others already sitting around it, all focused on Berwald and Tino. The chubby omega greeted the two with a small, uneasy smile that instantly dropped. Even though it was a quick expression one could easily not notice, Lukas didn’t like the way it made him feel. Berwald’s expression was its normal pensiveness, though stronger- like he was preparing to shoot ice from his eyes at any moment. The intense look got a slightly frightened squeal out of Magnus, making him shuffle closer to Lukas. This meeting wasn’t looking promising.

“For some of you, this meeting’s topic isn’t a surprise.” Tino started once Lukas and Magnus had found a place to sit— which thankfully wasn’t next to each other. “We thought we could handle this situation on our own, but it turns out we cannot.”

Lukas’ curiosity had reached its peak. Just what the hell was going on? His eyes scanned the graphs and charts, taking in the huge money losses over the course of a few months. It seems they’d been quietly taking hits in the dark, only now bringing all of it to the light.

“Things started out small, but… recently they’ve quickly skyrocketed out of control." Tino took in a deep breath to steady his voice. “Of course, I’m talking about hackers. We've got hackers."

His eyes widened, jaw dropping slightly. Hackers? Here? Of all places? Lukas couldn’t think of anything too valuable to steal from BW except, well, _money_ and maybe some personal information on Berwald and Tino. Anything else just seemed like a waste of time to thieve.

Berwald stayed sitting behind a podium while his mate paced the floor. “Before anyone new to this asks, we’ve contacted authorities already, and we’ve taken all necessary steps to protect company information and our funds. But, they proved to not be enough. Police can’t find the source of the hackers just yet, either.”

“Is that what’s been going on this _whole_ time?!” Magnus asked, incredulous. “People have been _robbing_ from us?! Why did you wait so late to say something?!”

Tino paused to give him a steely glare; an expression that was echoed in a higher intensity by Berwald from over the omega’s shoulder. “Yes, that’s what’s been happening the whole time, Mr.Densen.” Tino only called him by his last name so formerly in important business matters or to show his irritation in a more reserved fashion. “We waited so late, as you so kindly put it, because we didn’t think it would turn into the major disaster it became as of now. We waited so late because we didn’t want any possible paranoia about hacking amongst the staff. Like I said, we thought we could handle it, and it was a foolish mistake to think so simple like that.”

“We’re both responsible for not coming forward sooner.” Berwald clarified. In any other situation, Lukas would assume that the bespectacled alpha would take up all the blame to remove the heat from Tino.

Lukas sat back in his chair, at a loss on what to say. He did agree that it was a poor choice on their end, but he didn’t believe them to be completely at fault for these unknown break-ins. A round of anxious commenting started at the table from concerned coworkers who feared for their future. Lukas could feel someone’s attention on him but ignored that along with the jumping to conclusions he could faintly hear from the others.

“Enough!” Berwald raised his voice above the noise, silencing everyone in seconds.

“Thank you.” He said politely to his mate before switching his voice over to its more serious tone. “We know you’re scared, but let us continue with the meeting so we can explain what we’re doing while this gets solved.”

A young omega who had just started her job there a few months ago raised her hand in the air, signaling her need to speak. “Um… Is anything dangerous going on? Is our information at risk?”

“No. These surprisingly sophisticated and mysterious hackers are really just targeting Mr.Oxenstierna and I, but they’re draining money for the company and from other accounts. So, everyone else is at risk even if it’s indirect.”

She paled and slowly dropped her arm to her side. “Oh…”

They couldn’t possibly think the hackers where that ‘mysterious.’ Lukas thought of the backwards bastards who talked poorly of the relationship between his bosses as the immediate ones at fault for this. He didn’t have any proof of this, but he couldn’t think of anyone else it could be. The mated pair didn’t have any enemies as far as he was aware.

His brain then switched gears to his own potential problems. His position wasn’t the highest in the company, but he was still a very necessary part of everything. Or else, there’d be no reason to call him to such an important talk. Lukas couldn’t fathom what risks he was at, but he was becoming gradually more bothered by the current affair in any case. He adjusted his hair clip and continued listening to Tino who was doing most of the talking as was to be expected.

“We’ve spoken to shareholders, our bank, and our advisors on what to do. They’ve come up with a lot of solutions that had varying results until coming up with a possibly extreme one.” Tino explained, his voice sounded more stressed.

Lukas pressed his lips together firmly and narrowed his eyes. He didn’t trust where this was headed.

“We would have to leave here and move to the American headquarters.”

It was so quiet in the room, a thin needle could have dropped against the floor, and the sound would be as loud as a gunshot. Just as Tino had said, it was an extreme option. He couldn’t see the benefit in that. He didn’t want to relocate to the subpar American HQ to escape some pesky hacking problem that should have been solved months ago. The absurdity of this was enough to make him grind his teeth.

“Care to explain that…?” A beta asked from behind Lukas.

“I was just getting to that.” Tino sighed.

_Needed to pause for dramatic effect?_

“The plan works like this,” Tino stood directly in front of the table, looking out at all the faces staring back at him, "We don’t tell anybody who isn’t directly tied to us that we’re making a big move until after it happens. If we broke that rule, it could alert whoever is doing this to make a big move that we don’t need. So, we don’t let this get out to the public.”

Magnus had to ask a stupid question. “Is that it?”

“ _Step two_ ,” Tino spoke over him, “We can’t move everyone over to America, unfortunately. There just isn’t enough space for that.”

Lukas felt hopeful at the possibility of not having to move away. He thought of Emil and how hard the move would be on him, too. He couldn’t just leave his sibling behind when these days, Lukas was his sole caretaker. Working from home— if that was even possible and what what Tino could be hinting at— would be the perfect choice for him, but he started to doubt that even being a possibility. His line of focus changed to watching cars and people pass by the company building, looking as neutral in his expression as always.

“We’ve already formed a list of those we really want to bring with us to the states. That list will be handed out to everyone after the meeting, and our doors will be open for any discussions on the matter.” Tino added, and Berwald nodded. “Mr.Densen and Mr.Lukas, you two are on the list. Along with those of you who already knew about this entire dilemma.”

That got Lukas to face the front again in less than a second. He stared straight ahead, wide-eyed before risking a glance at Magnus who was on the other side of the table. Magnus was already looking in his direction, causing them to make accidental eye contact. Lukas turned away at the same time he did, hoping the alpha wouldn’t think anything of it. Not only would he be forced to make a drastic move, he’d also have to continue working with Magnus. It wasn’t as though them being coworkers was the worse fate imaginable, but there was a long existing tension between them that Lukas found favorable to ignore. He didn’t need it following him to a new country.

And Emil… Emil was a painfully shy and quiet kid— something Lukas could half relate to— with so few friends that he wasn’t even really that close to. Tino continued droning on about specifics with their money situation and answering questions while Lukas was getting lost in his fears. Adjusting to a new location with new people would take a lot. Would Emil recede further into his shell? The last time they had made a big move was almost a decade ago, and Emil was too young to feel any significant impact from it, unlike Lukas himself. Things would surely be different this time. Going home to his brother was going to be difficult that evening.

Lukas had been so distraught that he failed to notice when the meeting was finally forced to come to a conclusion. His focus on any of the words coming out of his bosses’ mouths was nonexistent at best. Other employees were already filing out of the room, talking amongst themselves and making phone calls on their cellphones. Lukas noticed something at the bottom of his field of vision and looked down at the sealed manilla envelope on the table. His name was written across it in neat and thick lines from a permanent marker. Across from him, there was another envelope with Magnus’ name written on it.

“So, are you sure this is the right thing to do, Tino?” Magnus asked the omega who was busy wringing his hands behind his back.

“Well… I don’t know what else to do. Berwald and I have spoken about it a lot. I know it’s a huge deal and all but… this is serious. I don’t want to continue staying around here; I know that much for sure.” Tino shook his head at himself.

Berwald stood up from behind the podium and walked up to Tino, feeling the need to calm his stressed mate down with a large hand on his shoulder. “I won’t let anything worse than this happen.”

Tino leaned into him, nuzzling his face against Berwald’s chest, and Lukas felt it was time to take his leave. Witnessing them being affectionate wasn’t something unusual, at least when Berwald didn’t mind doing it in front of others, but something about the sight felt too personal. Taking their conversation as a distraction, Lukas quietly stood up, grabbed the weighty envelope, and snuck out of the meeting room without anyone noticing.

The seemingly lazy air of Beautiful World that afternoon had left the building. Lukas walked down the hallway, back to the elevators, intending to go to his office for a bit of personal reflection, when he noticed people being a bit more hectic than usual. He nearly collided with a woman rushing to get in the elevator first. She too had a large envelope with her name on it. She clutched it tightly to her chest, shoulders trembling a bit as the elevator doors closed, and Lukas was forced to wait for the next entry. His last days in that building weren’t  looking too bright.

_______________________________________________________________________

Alone in his office, Lukas stared at the papers he had dumped out of the envelope and scattered across his desk. There were instructions on how and when to clear his office, notes on plane tickets, the date they were expected to start at the American branch, and several other papers he hadn’t gone through yet. He stopped skimming a page that’s only purpose was to summarize the meeting he had left less than thirty minutes ago when someone came knocking at his door. Lukas welcomed the visitor into his office with a simple “Come in.”

“Hm… Sorry to bother you, Lukas.”

It was _Berwald_ of all people. In the three years he had been working there, Berwald rarely ever came to see him. Whatever he stopped by for must have been something of value. Lukas watched him take a seat on the leather couch in front of his desk, waiting for what needed to be said.

“I’ve been talking to Tino,” Berwald began, looking downwards at first, “and I wanted to speak to you about it as well.”

Lukas nodded. He felt a bit dumb for nearly asking himself if the mated pair truly discussed everything together before doing anything. It didn’t seem too far fetched.

“You aren’t going to quit due to this hasty decision are you?” Berwald was now looking at him, expecting an answer.

Many of his coworkers feared the piercing, cold gaze of the Swedish man, but it had no effect on Lukas. What was truly affecting him was the question. It felt heavy with fears and assumptions that weren’t directly stated. Even though the thought of quitting hadn’t even crossed Lukas’ mind, he still found it a bit hard to answer right away. Did the both of them really think that he would do that?

“No.” Lukas replied. “Although your decision to do all of this was indeed very sudden, and there isn’t a lot of time to prepare for the move, I’m not quitting.”

“Hm.” Berwald grunted.

His employer had a lot of different grunts. Some deeper ones meant that he was annoyed, and one was expected to get that much without him actually saying anything. There were the soft grunts of consideration when he was listening to everything another was saying but didn’t plan on opening his mouth to say anything. It was easier than expected for him to catch on to his nonverbal communication than he thought. The noise Berwald had just made, however, sounded unlike anything he heard before. Lukas kept his confusion off his face and waited patiently for what else Berwald needed to get off his chest.

“So, that means you and Magnus are staying…” There was a noticeable frown as Berwald appeared to most be speaking to himself. “You most likely already know this, but you won’t be having the same kind of benefits over there.”

It was Lukas’ turn to grunt. “I should expect as much. We’ll have to do a lot of things their way.” _As if that’s something I’d want to do_.

Berwald nodded. “If it was something I had more control over… but I unfortunately don’t. We were finally able to get in touch with Mr.Jones a few days ago. I’ll still be your boss, but he’ll be in charge of all of us. Understand?”

Lukas was a bit dumbfounded by how much he was talking. Still, Lukas indicated he understood clearly. “Yes. I also take it I’ll be working with their new hire?”

“Hm.” It was a grunt that was basically the equivalent of just saying yes. “I have to head back to my office. There’s a lot to do.”

Lukas’ eyes followed him as he walked out, leaving him alone once more. He had about two weeks to prepare himself for the major shift in work environment and society itself. There could be some good luck involved with the fact that he would be working with another omega, but Lukas didn’t really buy into the idea that working with a similar dynamic was anything to rave over. He couldn’t even picture himself downgrading to the American quarters at all. Lukas could hardly wait to leave work and think more clearly at home.

_______________________________________________________________________

Leaving time was normally more calm and easy, but there was still a good number of employees who were having a rough time due to the announcement. As Lukas walked into the lobby, he could make out the faint comments of others receiving emails from Berwald. Lukas also couldn’t help but pay attention to the lack of workers actually leaving. Staying over time wasn’t something unusual, but it was incredibly obvious what was causing those who were staying to put.

“Can you believe them?”

Lukas was ashamed to admit that Magnus’ voice had given him a good scare, but he kept that to himself. “That’s not a proper way to start a conversation. Completely at random.”

"I just feel like I've been cheated with my position around here." Magnus explained, which didn't really do much. "I think there’s something else going on here.”

Magnus and Lukas walked side by side to and out the door and down the cobblestone path leading to the car lot. Their entire unasked for _shared_ walk was filled with the noisy alpha cooking up conspiracy theories about who was to blame for the issue. He still believed that it was the less than kind, loudmouthed idiots that spoke against Tino working alongside Berwald. Lukas still didn’t fault him for thinking that way, but he had more important matters. No amount of quickly walking towards his car got Magnus off his back.

“I wasn’t aware that you were the police.” Lukas sarcastically muttered as he stopped in front of his car.

“Well, I might as well be since I guess the actual police suck at their jobs.” Magnus huffed but then grinned. “Where are you going right now?”

“Home.” Lukas stated clearly, cutting off any potential attempts at hanging out. “I need to talk to Emil. So, if you’ll excuse me…”

Magnus smiled still. “Ah, good luck to ya’! And tell Emil I said hey! Haven’t seen him since New Year’s.”

Chances are, Lukas wouldn’t do that. “Sure.”

“See ya’ later, Lukas!” Magnus gave him one last smile before walking away towards his own car.

When Magnus was out of sight, Lukas got into his car and took in a deep breath. He could spend the drive mapping out the conversation with his little brother and use it as much needed time to clear his head. Wouldn’t do him any good to be an inner confused wreck.

After a short drive spent canceling every plan he made on how to talk to Emil, Lukas pulled into the driveway of their home, got out, and headed straight inside the house. Emil was sure to be disappointed, but there was nothing Lukas could do to cushion the blow for the teenager. He might as well just get it over with already.

Emil was sitting in the living room with a workbook in his lap. He lifted his head a little to look at Lukas. “Hey.”

“I need to talk to you.”

Now, Emil lifted his head all the way up to properly look at Lukas. “About what? I didn’t do anything?”

Lukas loved his brother dearly, and he couldn’t truly put up with any sour attitude he could give him over this. He decided to use what the idiot Dane had said as an opener. Albeit an uneasy one. “Work today was a bit of a struggle—“

“Was it because of Magnus?” Emil asked, raising one whitish eyebrow at him.

“What?” Lukas stared back, wondering just where that question came from.

Emil was silent for a moment. Then, he shrugged. “It’s nothing you don’t already know.”

That deserved a conversation of its own, but Lukas wasn’t going to bother with it just yet. “No, it’s not about Magnus. He says hey by the way, but anyway, this is something much more serious.”

Lukas sat down next to Emil who had closed his workbook and put it aside to give his brother his undivided attention. “What are you going on about…?”

He took in another deep breath. “There was a break in with the company’s money. It’s been going on for months now actually.”

Lukas glanced at his brother, trying to gauge a reaction if there were any signs of one. Emil only appeared to be baffled by the news with his mouth slightly open and eyebrows lowered. His misty violet eyes flickered around the room as if he was trying to figure out something. Lukas went on with his talk.

“The hacking has yet to be resolved, and I don’t know when it’ll ever be fixed.” Lukas stated honestly. “My bosses explained to us that they did everything they could. They also explained that we’ll be…”

Emil had moved closer to him now. “You’ll be what?”

“We have to move to the states, Emil.”

The sixteen-year-old pulled back, evidently surprised by what he had said. Lukas wouldn’t expect anything less. “Move?! That sounds crazy! And am I supposed to stay here-?”

“I would never make you stay somewhere on your own.” Lukas put a stop to that ridiculous train of thought.

Throughout their lives, they had always had issues with guardians. From an absentee father that forced their mother to work overtime- thus meaning she was hardly around- to a grandmother who practically raised them until health concerns led her to being in the hospital. When Emil was only fourteen, Lukas took it upon himself to find a home to share with his sibling and raise him on his own. Regardless of how stressful things looked as if they would get, Lukas would go through it all for Emil.

“So, I have to leave and follow you to America?” Emil grimaced.

If Emil refused to come with him, Lukas wouldn’t bother and would settle for staying behind. “That’s the summary of everything I wanted to say, yes.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Emil said under his breath, aggravated by it all.

“I _know_ everything is absurd but-”

“We can’t just…” Emil huffed, exasperated, as he tried searching for what he wanted to say. “I don’t wanna… Are we just supposed to move to the other side of the planet like that?!”

The smell of Emil’s distress was always upsetting for Lukas. It didn’t matter if he was upset over the tiniest thing. He kept any of his own distress from showing and tried calming the other down. He was surely getting rapidly heated due to circumstances that weren’t focused on him. Emil did care greatly for their grandmother, afterall, and Lukas felt guilty for being short sighted with that issue. This was something he had no resolution for since moving an elderly woman who was in and out of the hospital would be far more trouble than it’s worth.

Emil put his face in his hands and let them slide down. “What would grandma and mom do or say?”

They rarely saw their mother. Times hadn’t changed in years, but they did get a little worse. Lukas thought back to a few weeks ago when he saw her in passing at a grocery store. She had a disheveled and stressed countenance. Messy blond hair pulled tight into a ponytail and dark circles drooping under her eyes, just behind her thick-rimmed glasses. All she gave him was a 

tired smile and a wave hello. She clearly didn’t have time to talk to her oldest son. A feeling of bitterness was whispering to him about not telling her at all.

As for their grandmother… “We can make time to see her in the hospital before we leave.”

There was a lengthy break of silence, leaving Lukas clinging to an answer from Emil. “I guess that’s fine.”

He didn’t sound too happy about the bare minimum, but it made sense for him to sound so disappointed. Being so far was going to be a tough adjustment.

“If there’s anything else,” Lukas gestured for Emil to ask anything else on his mind, “you can say so.”

“No.” Emil replied bluntly and stood up from the couch. “I’m going back to my room.”

The teen strode out of the living room, workbook in hand, and into the hallway. There were the gentle thumps of him walking up the stairs, before his door was closed.

Lukas slumped against the couch cushions and crossed his arms over his chest. Perhaps, there would be a far better chance of talking things over the right way during the weekend.

_______________________________________________________________________

Kiku had an unusually late stay at work that Friday, making him a bit more weary than usual. As much strength as he gathered from his job, he didn’t like staying at it until it was dark outside.

Ever since the odd incident that happened Monday, Kiku was extremely careful that whole week. He had been successful in not running into Heracles at all, and more importantly, there was no more heat smell radiating from him. His second week wasn’t as bad as it could have been, yet Kiku felt some amount of displeasure.

On his way to the elevators, he passed by Mr.Jones’ door and overheard his and Mr.Beilschmidt’s voices from the other side. It wasn’t polite to listen in on others, but they had left one of the doors open a little. Something Kiku only took note of when he turned towards his boss’ office. He could pick up mentions of that other Beautiful World that seemed to be pretty popular— especially with Eduard— and something to do with money. Whatever it was, it was none of Kiku’s business. Just as he had pressed the button for the elevator, Mr.Beilschmidt called for him, leaning out of the open doorway.

“There’s something we need to discuss with you.”

Maybe it _was_ his business.

“Yes?” Kiku walked forward and was welcomed into the room.

Mr.Jones was sitting on his desk; his cellphone pressed between his cheek and shoulder. Upon seeing Kiku, a vaguely unhappy expression turned into a more delighted face. “Ah, Kiku! There’s gonna be a lot of changes around here!”

“I’m sorry?” Kiku hadn’t been this confused since earlier that week.

“We’ll be letting some of Berwald’s employees over here. Uh, you know who that is right?” When Kiku nodded, Mr.Jones continued. “You’ll be having a couple of new underlings so to speak.”

“What…?”

Mr.Jones was forced to return to his call, making Mr.Beilschmidt come in and explain the situation to him. After he was done, Kiku was given a moment to let it soak in while his employer finished a talk of his own.

“I have new people under me?” Kiku asked slowly.

“That’s right!” Mr.Jones nodded eagerly. “You’ll be able to do this won’t you?”

Kiku’s mind was in a haze at the task being assigned to him. Bringing new employees in from another branch that he had to look over? “Oh… I’m sure I can handle it just fine.”

“Awesome!” Mr.Jones smiled his thousand watt grin.

When it was clear he could leave, he said his quiet goodbyes to them both and made it back to the elevators. Week by week, it appeared to be his work life was getting busier and busier, picking up its speed whether Kiku was ready or not.


	10. 1000 Volts of Pure Shock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry late Christmas gift?  
> I'm sorry it took so long to update, but I've been busy as hell and generally feeling shitty both mentally and physically. My editor has also had her fair share of stuff to attend to. On another note, I'm writing a collection of side stories about how the already established couples in this fic got together in the first place. The first chapter of it, which is SuFin, is taking a lot longer to write than I thought it would. For anybody who hasn't seen my comments on the last chapter, the whole thing is gonna have more world building and extra details.
> 
> Also, I noticed this fic got 1000+ hits which is mindblowing to me. Thanks for the reviews and kudos!

That Monday morning was full of rain and dark skies. Glancing out his kitchen window as he ate breakfast, Kiku begrudgingly realized he had no umbrella. It was the first day without sunlight since he moved there. If he was a strong believer in superstitions, Kiku would have taken it as a bad omen for the day. Something about that didn’t seem too hard to believe, though, considering how the last week ended.

It wouldn’t be another few weeks or so until the newcomers were set to arrive to Mr.Jones’ branch, but Kiku had already been feeling anxious about the entire predicament days in advance. His former boss had warned him of the work pace in America. In that moment, Kiku had felt no reason to deeply doubt himself as he was starting to now. Would this really be a type of work he could manage? Directing others while he was busy hiding out in his office as much as possible? Kiku propped his elbow up on the counter and rubbed the side of his face, feeling unbelievably tired despite waking up not too long ago.

Mr.Jones and Mr.Beilschmidt had made it clear they trusted Kiku with the new task of being directly in charge of his own employees. The two alphas had made it clear _more than once_ that they trusted him to do well in general. Kiku felt a bit of disappointment with himself for not considering their extremely valuable opinions before falling face first into feeling so ridiculously bad about everything. Kiku placed his dishes in the sink as he properly mentally prepared himself for the workday, feeling far less— to put it bluntly— stupid.

The rain hadn’t let up in the slightest when Kiku made it downstairs to the lobby. It was more crowded than usual. Various people took up space on the furniture and by the vending machines while Anna traced random designs on her desk. Seeing whatever little tasks she was up to in the morning had become oddly calming for Kiku, and seemed to fall into its own place in his morning routine. He couldn’t figure out exactly how that managed to happen.

“Ah! There’s free umbrellas in the basket by the couch!” She looked up at him, smiling.

Kiku took one with a thank you and headed out the door. He felt a little lighter, maybe even a bit lucky over something as small but useful as an umbrella.

_______________________________________________________________________

When arriving at work, the last thing he expected was an overjoyed Arthur calling out to him as soon as he stepped into the building. He hadn’t even spoken to the other omega all that much. What reason did he have to be so happy to see him? Kiku scanned the lobby as if there were a chance that Arthur was talking to someone else who just so happened to be named Kiku as well. Finally he headed over to his desk in deep confusion.

“Uh, yes?”

Arthur’s smile turned a bit noticeably awkward. “Ah! I was just… hmm… it’s just nice to see you still working is all!”

Kiku’s confusion strengthened. “Why wouldn’t I still be here?”

The Englishman shook his head as though he needed to set himself straight. He ran a hand through his already messy hair and tried collecting himself. “Just post-heat me being daft I suppose."

The tone of his voice was somewhat chipper, but everything else about him told of completely different emotions. Kiku could only find himself agreeing with the suddenly extremely odd man. “I guess so…”

Their awkward conversation— if anyone could even describe it as such— ended there. Which was definitely for the best in Kiku’s opinion.

Kiku had only just stepped out into the hallway of his floor when he caught sight of Heracles and their boss in the corner of his eye. Kiku turned around a nearby corner, using it as a hiding place, while watching the two alphas discuss who-knows-what. Doing such a thing would normally be impolite for Kiku, but he felt it necessary when Heracles was involved. All he needed to do was wait for the mindless and loose hulk of an alpha to leave. For the time being, neither party noticed Kiku nearby. He would have thought that it was another sign he was going to have a good day, but that just wasn’t the case.

His nose itched with a horribly loud sneeze that couldn’t be contained. After only a few seconds of trying to hold it in, it burst through. It was enough to force him to double over, hitting the wall with his bag _and_ umbrella handle. Kiku rubbed his throat, and then his nose. _What a laughable way to blow my cover_. Kiku popped out of his hiding place, trying to look as nonchalant as possible while letting out a few coughs. In an extremely short amount of time, he had been found out and appeared to be rapidly catching a cold as well. Was it this possible for bad weather to be a curse?

“Oh, that was you!” Mr.Jones looked a tad startled before the surprised face turned into a more positive expression. “Kiku, you came up here just in time, man!”

He didn’t like the sound of that. Kiku silently greeted Mr.Jones with a small nod of his head. Heracles tensed up when looking at Kiku, and when the two accidentally locked eyes with each other, he was the first to look away. Beautiful World apparently offered no stops in the strange occurrences no matter how small. Kiku thought nothing of his abnormal behavior, seeing it would be a waste of time.

“I’ve been really busting my balls over this upcoming festival- you two know about the stuff with the Scandinavian guys, right?  _But_ , that’s nothing I can’t handle.” Mr.Jones smiles proudly. Kiku tried to pretend he hadn’t said the first part of his statements. “Heracles is doing some much needed work on that. I need you to join him, help organize the fun stuff and money and all those boring details. Since you haven’t truly been pulled into an event yet, now is the perfect time!”

Kiku digested the announcement with the straightest face he could pull off. Below the calm facade, a powerful sense of fear was rapidly growing in the pit of his stomach, giving him flashbacks to what happened last week. Working alone with Heracles was a pretty hellish situation to be thrown into by his own boss. As much as he looked incredibly sleepy and harmless— well, those muscles could give anyone the impression otherwise— Heracles just couldn’t be trusted.

Thoughts rampaged through his mind about how he could have been seduced by the alpha standing less than a foot away from him. Darker thoughts of Heracles forcing himself onto Kiku after smelling the scent of his heat pushed to the forefront of the swirling mess that was Kiku’s head at the moment. Mr.Jones’ mouth was moving, but the only sound Kiku could hear was his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. Kiku‘s subtle attempts to steady his breathing went by unnoticed. Everything peaked with horrid, pain inducing flashbacks of the night he was running away from those bratty alpha children who could smell his first heat. Kiku paled, feeling so very cold. His legs felt like jelly, but all he wanted to do was run away again.

“Kiku! Yo, Kiku?!”

Kiku opened his eyes. He didn’t even know he had closed them during his little episode. His boss was looking at him in concerned confusion; an expression that was, interestingly enough, mirrored on Heracles’ face. Kiku quickly turned away from him and swallowed.

“I-I’m fine.” He lied.

“You looked pretty zoned out there and kinda sick.” Mr.Jones frowned but smiled once again. “Your color is coming back, though.”

“Must be the rain getting to me.” Kiku cast his uneven gaze at the floor, adjusting his bag.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright for work today?” Mr.Jones cocked his head to the side.

Kiku’s own head whipped up at the question. He could never give his boss who was looking at him in unspoken doubt a reason to believe he wasn’t fit for work. It would be a personal loss with consequences no matter how small the problem. Some alpha who likes to sleep around a lot that just so happened to be a major trigger for him wasn’t going to stop him from working. He needed work. The distraction and self fulfillment it offered him was too great.

“Yes.” Kiku spoke sternly. “I’m positive.”

Mr.Jones looked at him as if he was searching for anything in Kiku’s face or body language that would say he’s lying. When he decided Kiku was telling the truth, the American grinned. “Great! Follow him down to the art department so you guys can get started right away!”

After that, Mr.Jones was gone, leaving Kiku and Heracles alone in the hallway. Neither party was looking at the other and neither had made a move, yet. Kiku listened to the rain gently hitting the building, keeping his eyes trained on a seam in one of his shoes.

“Let’s get going.” Heracles said in a strained tone before turning towards the elevator behind them.

The simple command was enough to make Kiku move as well. He picked his head up, holding it high and stared straight ahead. Heracles wasn’t going to impede on his work abilities.

_______________________________________________________________________

The short journey to the art room was as silent as Kiku expected. There was a tension between them the moment their employer left that Kiku couldn’t comprehend. Heracles was being unusually rigid and something about it was off to Kiku.

In the art room, Francis and Feliciano sat at a lengthy workbench covered by long poster paper. The beta dabbed his paintbrush into a glob of paint and smeared it across the paper. Feliciano watched his hands movements with an amount of focus that Kiku had never seen the omega display before, and Kiku had yet to see him actually do any of his own work.

The two artists stopped when it occurred to them they were no longer alone. Francis greeted Kiku with a smile. Kiku had shared very little interaction with Francis over his time working there- even less of that time spent interacting had been done one-on-one. Kiku safely assumed that after he was finally properly integrated into the American company, he would also be well acquainted with his many coworkers. It made sense, but he wanted any relations he made to stay within the confines of the company walls.

“Ah! Good morning, Kiku!” Francis waved him over to the bench. “You’ll be with us for the day?”

“Not all of it.” Kiku said while side-eyeing Heracles who was walking in the opposite direction. He relaxed a bit when the alpha was out of a sight. “I have some of my own work to do back upstairs, so I can only hope I won’t be here all day.”

Kiku placed his belongings on a nearby table, just in time to receive a tight Italian hug. He bent down to whisper something into his ear. “Don’t worry about Heracles.” Feliciano pulled away before Kiku had time to properly compute what had even happened. Kiku then feared that he was letting off a strong scent of distress that— for obvious reasons— only _he_ could pick up on. Did Mr.Jones smell it, too?

“I suppose this was a sudden decision made by the big man if we weren’t told about it earlier.” Francis spoke up, interrupting them.

“Ah… It would seem that way.” Kiku agreed. “He said that he was bust— no. He didn’t say anything.”

Francis gave him a weird look but said nothing about it. “I’m sure Heracles will do his best to be more lively today then.”

Kiku attempted to hide his frown by rubbing the side of his face. “Certainly.”

When Heracles reappeared, the workday found its true beginning. There was no hesitation or awkward bumps in anything the Greek man said to Kiku. It was all a straightforward, easy to understand speech on what exactly they were doing that day. Which was apparently a pretty massive deal to the festival. Heracles wasn’t just in charge of something as simple as putting up posters; he had to create decorations, booth designs, and played a large role in the entire layout of the festival itself. Kiku felt himself getting a little impressed with the workload before them, and full of pride, Feliciano and Francis eagerly showed off a bulletin board full of photos from past festivals. It was hard to deny that the pictures were indeed worthy of being shown off.

After a short discussion on plans, more employees entered the room until it went from relatively quiet to bustling with life. Heracles kept himself busy by doing his job as head of the department, directing with those around him, while Kiku busied himself with whatever Francis had pulled him into.

“I hear that it’s a stereotype of omegas being good with art.” Francis chuckled to himself as he sketched out a map he was ordered to show his boss later.

Kiku considered what was said. The art department was mostly omegas and betas, however. If Francis was alluding to his boss, then he chose to do it in a strange way. “I’ve had my fair share of that before.”

“Tell me,” he began with a smooth voice, “do you have any skill with art?”

It had been something Kiku had to do a lot of in the small Japanese branch. He recalled annoying memories of higher dynamics asking him the deprecating question in their own less than amusing ways. Though, the truth was, Kiku had garnished quite the level of skill in art. He even enjoyed it. With a startled shock, Kiku realized he had never even thought of his minor love for artistry until now. When doing it at his previous job, it felt more like a chore sucking his life away.

Francis leaned down to pull out a drawer under the table. Within it were several sheets of computer paper and drawing materials. From it, he pulled out a small stack of paper and a few pencils. The drawer was shut, and the beta turned to face Kiku.

“Instead of just blindly overseeing what we’re doing here, I would much rather you take an active part in it.”

Mr.Jones hadn’t directly said anything like that. Thinking on it, he wasn’t entirely sure how else he was supposed to really do anything that day. Kiku accepted the pencil from the other man who then began directing him on exactly what they needed for the upcoming festival.

Settling into the affairs of artwork and designs was easier than expected for Kiku. It may have been a bit nostalgic in a less than positive way as well. Rediscovering his interest gave him a swell of pride when it wasn’t being used to demean him. Francis’ comments ranged from complimentary to genuine encouragement. Kiku managed to relax much more somewhere along the way, accompanied by the white noise of people shuffling around them occupied with their own tasks.

_It’s too late to be working. That’s what he gets told anyway by a beta worker he passes in the hallway. He ignores the fact that the building is near empty and was long ago cleared out due to the workday ending. He also ignores the fact he was told something about his presence solely due to the fact that he’s the lowest dynamic._

_“There’s just alphas around here. You’ll get caught.” The beta worker tells him. Oddly enough, it sounds like a genuine warning. She isn’t really doing anything to make him go home._

_“I know that.”_

_He pretends as though all he needs to do is finish a project to be turned into his boss, and she believes him instantly. Or so he assumes._

_He turns a corner and stops to look around, checking if he’s alone. The air and all around him is confirmed to be clear. With that, he slowly moves forward until he’s right at the door blocking him from a very important room. All it takes is one twist of the knob—_

_A much larger hand squeezes his wrist and pulls on him roughly until he’s forcibly pressed back-to-front with one of the upper dynamics he was warned about. A terribly strong odor assaults his senses, and he struggles to escape the other’s tight grasp. At first, he believes the mystery assailant is someone who’s more or less just a stranger to him. Then, he puts the pieces together. It’s Nakayama. Just the man he wants to see._

_“It’s the little omega who’s trying to outdo everyone.” He laughs with a deep, rumbling sound. “Trying to sneak into the head room to show off?”_

_He isn’t going to give him any kind of response. He blankly stares at nothing of interest and goes still. Nakayama’ll get bored with him._

_“Hey, I’m talking to you.” Nakayama presses. “Disrespectful not to respond.”_

_He swallows. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”_

_“That’s no way to talk to your higher ups.”_

_He says nothing. Nakayama lets go of him just as roughly as he had grabbed him. He still refuses to look into his eyes._

_“Playing the quiet game like always.” The man sneers. “Doesn’t a bitch like you have more suitable work like making those stupid little drawings.”_

_At that, he glares at him from the corner of his eyes. Nakayama is more than amused by the nasty look._

_“A face that could strike fear into the heart of any beta or even alpha."  He roars with laughter. “Better stay out of the security cameras if you want to go uncaught.”_

_Nakayama leaves, grinning smugly and leaving him to stew in his own anger. He doesn’t move for a while._

_“Damn him…”_

The pencil is in his grip is threatening to snap in half. He’s applying way too much pressure to the page, and Kiku realizes as the lead breaks off. It hits him in the face, bouncing against his cheek. He had somehow managed to avoid thinking about that awful excuse for a man since he moved away. Kiku hadn't seen that much of him, but whatever unneeded time they did share together was in passing or after work. That was apparently all the time needed to pose a massively annoying and highly potential direct threat to Kiku over the years of working together.

 _Now that I consider it, he could have been somewhere deep in my subconscious, and my mind only just now directly called him to the front._ Really, it made complete sense that he’d try to forget about him so fast. Now, if only he could stop getting into situations that were so keen on unearthing everything he wanted to push aside at such an alarming pace.

“You looked like you were really far away.”

Feliciano’s voice pulled Kiku completely back to the present. He turned to the other omega, surprised to see Francis was no longer around.

“Yes.” Kiku looked back at the drawing and observed his slightly ruined sketch of random booth designs. “You could say that. Everything would be much easier if I could stop spoiling it for myself.”

Feliciano was extremely confused by the statement which must have come across as very cryptic to him. Kiku offered no further details on what he was talking about. The comment slipped out by accident, anyway.

“Well, I was wondering if you’d like to come with me and my mate for break.” He said with a big, hopeful smile.

Spending time with a couple that contained one of his bosses sounded incredibly awkward. He didn’t have quite the same relationship with Mr.Beilschmidt that he had with Feliciano. “I don’t want to feel like I’m imposing on anything. I’ll have to decline.”

Feliciano frowned a bit. “Alright, then! Do you remember where the employee lounge is? It’s still raining so, ya’ know.”

He was being so considerate and thoughtful that Kiku almost had a consideration of his own: Feliciano was replaced with a lookalike. “Uh, yeah. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay!”

Truly, Kiku wanted to work through any breaks and lunch, but he kept that to himself. He took a quick peek at the clock. It wouldn’t even be time for lunch foruntil another hour or so. Why was Feliciano asking him so early?

Any other thoughts on the matter were pushed aside when Francis returned.

“So, where was I— Kiku, what did you do to your paper?” Francis questioned him with a tinge of concern laced in his tone.

“The pencil slipped.” Kiku offered them a less than believable smile. “Hard.”

“You’ll need a new one then.” Francis gestured to the drawing tools scattered on the table. “And please try not to ruin any more of your gorgeous creations.”

Kiku was probably going to walk out of the art room that day feeling a lot more flustered than accomplished.

_______________________________________________________________________

Less and less workers were in the room by the passing second. Francis and Feliciano even took their own separate leaves after asking if he would still be around when they came back. Soon enough, it was just him and _Heracles_. Kiku swallowed and remembered to keep a tight lid on his emotions.

In the midst of his continued sketching, footsteps approached. They came closer and closer until stopping at the table he was sitting at. Heracles lowered himself into the chair that had been occupied by the Italian. Kiku wanted to tell him it was for someone else just to get him to go away, but as always, he kept his mouth shut. The lack of nearly all sound combined with the smell of Heracles was making his head spin.

“How’s that coming?"

Kiku almost failed to answer him; just like Heracles almost failed to speak initially. “Do you even know what I’m working on?”

“No.”

“Francis was focusing on the stand layout and requested my help with them.”

“Hm.”

Kiku could feel his head pound a little.

“When will you be leaving?”

“I could ask you the same question.”

Kiku paused in his work. He had been keeping his sight trained on only the table while feeling Heracles’ lazy eyes on him. He bit his tongue. Talking in such a way to higher ups felt too dangerous, but Heracles did nothing nor said anything. He could get away with so much around there.

Kiku’s scribbling picked up in speed, trying to use it to ignore Heracles. The gentle pattern of rain could maybe offer further help.

“I need—“

“This by the end of the day?” Kiku cut in. “I’m handing them to Francis before I leave.”

Nothing was said, again.

Heracles clicked his nails against the hard surface of the workspace. “I see…”

“Yes.”

Nothing.

“I wanted to talk to you.”

Kiku applied a heavy amount of pressure to the paper, causing thin lines to turn into a thick mess.

“I can see why you wouldn’t want to do the same with me.” Heracles finished what was turning into a one sided conversation.

Kiku’s eyebrows furrowed. Where was he going with this? If it was any sort of “clever” ruse intended to win him over, Kiku was having none of it and needed to make that clear.

He put his pencil down, ready to speak up, but a presence interrupted them. Matthew made himself known with a knock at the entrance to the art room. The omega seemed relieved. Kiku was more than happy to actually talk to someone who he had any sort of level ground with. Kiku side-eyed the Grecian man as he approached Matthew at the doors.

“Hello.” Kiku greeted him. “Do you need something?”

“Can we talk out in the hallway?” Matthew asked while looking over Kiku’s head at the alpha.

“Certainly.”

When their distance was deemed safely far enough from any potential eavesdropping, Matthew stated his reason for suddenly appearing.

“Y-you know how you said that you hadn’t had a heat in a while?”

This was already shaping up to be an interesting talk. “Yes?”

“And all that stuff happened probably because of _him_?” Matthew gulped as if he feared Kiku’s response.

“Yes…?”

His boss’ lookalike never looked so unlike him. Matthew was obviously nervous about what he needed to share, and his face was breaking into an embarrassed red flush. He scratched the back of his head. This better not be anything weird.

“Weeeelllll,” Matthew struggled, “I… I was thinking you may need to see a doctor.”

Kiku didn’t answer right away, but he didn’t have to.

“Now, now! I’m not trying to overstep boundaries or anything!" He defended himself from attacks that had not been made. “I-I just think it’s important to check all that stuff out and have you medically cleared. From a professional.”

What Matthew was saying held a strong sting of truth to it. There was an enormous amount of importance in going to see a doctor. They could have a proper explanation for the strange occurrence that plagued him for more than a single day. But there was an even more enormous issue here. Kiku absolutely refused to let a stranger come anywhere near his body like _that_. The thought of it alone was almost traumatizing. He couldn’t let that happen to him no matter the circumstance.

“It is an appealing idea to be, as you said, medically cleared from heats, but I believe I’ll be just fine without any checkups.” Kiku was about ready to end this. Matthew meant well, but he wasn’t going to go along with it.

“Kiku! I know that it may sound awful, but it’ll really do a lot for you!” Matthew pleaded.

After spending an entire workday with him, Kiku would have never expected that he’d come to care about this problem of his so much.

“I respect what you’re trying to do.” Kiku looked up at him. “I’m just not interested.”

“If we have medical records of your heats, it could get those stupid alphas that screw with my brother a lot off your back.” Matthew spoke clearly in a single breath of air.

"Oh?"

 He smiled almost as brightly as his brother. “Yes! Official documentation would drive them away for sure.”

Kiku had to admit that it was the most alluring idea. Driving away that herd of bossy alphas whose names he never cared to even remember sounded like a dream. Even if he hadn’t heard from their obnoxious mouths, they were certain to reappear at any moment; still waiting for Mr.Jones to fire him.

“I suppose I could get tests done for that reason.” Kiku muttered mostly to himself, but Matthew still heard him.

“Great!” Matthew clapped his hands together. “You’re going to need a really good doctor for this, though.”

“I know of one!”

Kiku spun around on the balls of his feet to see Feliciano standing nearby. _Perfect timing…?_

"Feliciano, how much did you hear?” Matthew asked but went ignored by the eager Italian.

“He’s one of the best doctors in the area, but uh, he’s kinda an alpha so that may throw you off.” Feliciano’s excitement with his own recommendation died in the middle of his words.

He was right, however. An alpha placing his hands on the most private parts of Kiku’s body that he didn’t even touch himself was a scary thing. The fact that an _alpha_ specialized in that area of expertise was bewildering.

“Who is he?” Kiku asked.

Feliciano perked up again. “Doctor Levi Jansen!"

“I’ll consider it. Just for a chance to work in peace if it's what I must do.”

A pair of slightly tanned hands landed on his shoulders. “I’ll go with you if you need me to!”

There was really no one else he had grown so accustomed to at the office, and Feliciano was the one giving him the name. After thinking on it, it seemed fair to allow him to come if he followed through with it. Being alone in the company of an alpha doctor was a terrible idea.

Kiku gave him his nod of approval. “Alright.”

Once again, these two were being so bizarrely caring of his problems. What did he do to deserve this?

“Well, let me know the date of the appointment, and I’ll be there!” The other grinned.

Kiku was having last second thoughts about the possibility of Feliciano bailing on him. _This is a doctor he knows well from the way he talks. He’ll be a good source of information on him._ Really, all he wanted to do was kick himself in the seat of his own pants.

“These are some picky and demanding alphas. They may trust the word of another dynamic of theirs.” Matthew chimed in from behind them.

Several good points to mull over.

“Alright, I gotta head back to my office.” Matthew turned away, waving at the duo. “See you later.”

“Feliciano, why are you back so soon?” Kiku finally asked him.

“Left my phone.” He sheepishly smiled. “Speaking of, you still don’t have a phone, do you?”

“No…” Now it was Kiku’s turn to be slightly sheepish.

“Aww, that’s too bad.” Feliciano whined. “I could have sent you details on him.”

They headed back to the art room, talking on the way there. Kiku shrugged off the comment. “I’ll just research him on my computer in the office upstairs.”

“You know, for an alpha, he’s pretty gentle and doesn’t probe around too much.”

“Uh huh.”

“Which is the same way I could describe Luddy—“

“ _Feliciano_!”

Heracles has repositioned himself at the table. He sent a short glance at the two as they entered. Kiku pretended not to notice, reclaiming his own seat which was still two chairs away from him— the smallest buffer zone he would be allowed. Feliciano retrieved his device and left in a hurry.

_Back to business, I guess._

Kiku preceded to return to his work, thankful for the slight reprieve. Even if it gave him more things to think about. Trusting himself in the hands of an alpha when he was already having so many issues with the one sitting too close to him sounded sickening.

“Were you going to say something to me?” Heracles didn’t tear his focus away from what he was doing.

 _Here we go_. “No.”

“There’s something very important I need to tell you.”

“I know.”

That got him to look up. “You do?”

“I’m getting this done as quickly as I can. There’s no need to remind me of anything.”

Heracles dropped the pen he was holding on the table and sighed. “Kiku, you know that’s not what I meant.”

“It’s what you should be talking about.”

“There’s something that’s been troubling me for several days now.” Heracles was now fully focused on Kiku, and he couldn’t say he liked the intense gaze he could feel on him.

“Yes, things are very busy around here. I’ve noticed.” Kiku said, idly tracing nothing in particular on the paper.

“I did something wrong.”

“I’m sure any mistakes you’ve made can be fixed with the eraser.”

“I don’t know what you’ve been through before you came here.”

Kiku froze up, using his hair and positioning to hide his face from Heracles. He tried to keep his breathing normal.

“But I scared you, and I know I did.”

Kiku’s heart sank all the while, feeling like it was beating too quickly.

“I’m sorry.”

The pencil fell from Kiku’s fingers, rolling away until it was stopped by a stack of papers. There was an indescribable feeling deep within him. An alpha apologized for almost crossing the line. An alpha apologized for almost crossing the line with him. “I’m sorry” bounced off the walls of his brain, echoing loudly. Then, he remembered. Heracles hadn’t been so eager to pounce on him or seduce him and drag him off somewhere. He had looked so uncomfortable.

“If you’re angry with me for even coming close to you during that time, I understand.”

Now, Kiku’s brain couldn’t properly function. He hadn’t the slightest clue how to handle the highest and most prestigious dynamic looking at his wrongdoings with a critical eye.

“I’m not looking for forgiveness.” Heracles finished. “I just wanted to say something. I needed to say it.”

Kiku slowly looked in his direction. He wanted to find truth in Heracles’ eyes, and he certainly found an unusual expression on the other’s face. Heracles looked so abnormally serious with his mouth drawn into a tight line. Kiku couldn’t believe any of this was actually happening. It couldn’t be. No, there was no way. All of this was just a strange dream he was having because he fell asleep somewhere. Kiku tried to say something, anything, but all the words died before they could reach his mouth.

Sure, the other alphas around would apologize for little things, that was nothing out of the ordinary. But this was so unexpected. What was he even supposed to say? Did Heracles even care if he got a response? Kiku didn’t even know if he truly believed what he was saying. He was too shocked to speak.

Heracles had more to say. “I mean it. Everything.”

That was how it came to a close. Kiku was still looking at Heracles when the latter got up, taking his papers with him, and disappeared into a side room. He had told himself earlier that day that he wasn’t going to let anything come between him and his job, but he had failed that some time ago.

While Kiku no longer felt the tension, another emotion filled its place. He couldn’t tell whether it was good or bad, but the room was spinning around him. Heracles was abnormal.

_______________________________________________________________________

Kiku sat in his office. He had handed over his work to Francis, telling him he believed it was time for him to return upstairs for other assignments. There was a bit of disappointment, but Francis didn’t put up a fight asking him to stay. He had left before Feliciano even came back. Now, he was completely alone within his own personal four walls. Alone with the countless thoughts wreaking havoc in his head.

He pulled out the keyboard from its place on the desk and placed his hand on the mouse. There was an important task that needed to be finished before he did anything else.

Once the doctor’s name was entered into the search bar, Kiku looked at the list of results. There were links to review sites, a link to the clinic he worked at, and countless mentions of him in articles aimed at omegas. If Kiku wanted to think so lowly of a man he’s never met, he would assume that he was only in his chosen career as a way to get close to omegas while making way more money than Kiku could ever dream of. Kiku frowned at himself and clicked the first useful link.

In seconds, he was welcomed to the homepage of the Omegan Medical Clinic. He skipped over a long paragraph that tried making their business seem very homely and attractive to others and went straight for a tab at the top that said doctors. Amongst the names there, the one he needed stood out and immediately grabbed his attention. After clicking on it, he was more than surprised to see a picture of this doctor Feliciano had been praising. He was the textbook definition of an alpha with his tall, somewhat bulky build. On top of that, he had a face that looked it was chiseled with a jackhammer. Not someone he would imagine as a doctor. When finished studying his appearance, Kiku moved on to more important matters. A short biography was on the page next to his photo.

He read through it carefully. Dr.Jansen was from the Netherlands where he had attended all schooling below college level. That’s when he had relocated to the U.S for medical school. The thirty-two year-old man had an additional eight years of education under his belt, though judging by the wording on display, he was still learning. That did sound trustworthy on its own. Now, what about this field was so attractive to him? According to a quote, the doctor wanted to help pave the way for omegas to receive quality and expert medical care that can tend to all their needs fairly and justly. Well, Kiku was at a loss for words for the second time that day. Dr.Jansen went on to talk about how important this is to him due to personal reasons. The alpha had gone through tests and extra certification due to his status; until he was completely cleared for working in his chosen study. He went the extra mile not just because he needed to, but because he wanted to. He wanted his patients to trust him, too. He was one of only three known alphas who specialized in omega care. _For good reason_ , Kiku was sure.

Kiku switched to a professional review site that was loaded with quotes from people near and far. Glancing over the locations next to names of reviewers informed him that traveling from other states to see the doctor wasn't uncommon. His popularity knew no country's borders either. There were a few patients from the other side of the globe and those from neighboring nations. The younger man had gained a notable popularity in a short amount of time. This was the type of following Kiku would’ve expected from a doctor in his sixties. If he was this well liked and sought after, how was he going to be able to see him anytime soon?

 **Deborah Barnes** : _31;_ Amarillo, Texas, USA

— _I didn’t really have anyone around here who knew how omegas worked. I would keep getting referred from one doctor to another and not a single one of them could find answers for whatever was wrong with me. Then I heard about Doctor Jansen and he really worked wonders_ _for me. Didn’t waste my time either!_

 **Miley Braden** : _22;_ Vineland, New Jersey, USA

— _I was skeptical at first. Him being an alpha and all but he really knows how to treat people all the same. A bit scary at first tho, haha! Dr Jansen did a stellar job helping me find out why I wasn’t having heats. The process took awhile sure but he didn’t give up! He even helped with my first pregnancy! Things went so smoothly!_

Kiku cringed at that one. He quickly scrolled past it.

 **Chris Erikson** : _18;_ Quebec, Canada

_—After getting omega transitioning therapy, not many doctors within my reach cared to see me or were just confused about some problems I was experiencing. Not even the surgeons were sure. Luckily, they sent me to Dr.Jansen, and he was able to get me in touch with the right people. I’ll forever be grateful towards him._

His face scrunched up in confusion. Some other kind of research would be necessary to understand that one.

 **Alfredo Costa da Silva** : _17;_ Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

_—Im in a similar boat to others here. My situation was very drastic. I was having extremely painful heats that started when I was 13. There was blood somehow leaking out every time and a special team of doctors from other nations had to examine every part of me. There was so much pain and often I could not move even a little bit. I was apparently a rare case on this which is why they needed more people on the case. They also wanted to use me as a studying tool. Dr. Jansen was one of the six doctors. He played a role in leading me on the road to recovery. Others are not so lucky but I am._

Some of these were… _intense_ to say the least. Kiku scrolled until he found more casual ones and even omega celebrity input. He didn’t know a single one of them, however. That was most likely what helped boost his image even more.

There were some scent related products intended for many different uses depending on the smell that Dr.Jansen sponsored. Well, he was one of the three medical backers claiming it really worked, and he used it in his own workplace. Particularly the products intended to soothe and relax. These celebrities and a few musicians swore by the assortment of candles, hand lotions, and incenses. Kiku would need to add this to his growing list of research work.

Reading through a few more articles and statements on the man felt necessary. Kiku would only feel any true form of comfort, no matter how tiny, once he had a sound idea of what to expect. Thankfully, an alpha doctor that specializes in omega care attracted a lot of personal commentary. He had no criminal activity, and so far, Dr.Jansen never crossed the line with a patient. Kiku still wasn’t ready to completely trust the man, but he didn’t have a variety of options laid out before him for the time being. Speaking of time, he still felt like he was rushing into things and not even completely for his own sake.

With a slow moving hand, Kiku reached for his phone and picked it up. The clinic’s number was on his screen in large white font against the site’s pastel colored backdrop. He dialed the number and jumped when greeted with a kind female voice within seconds after having pressed the last number.

“Hello, this is the Omegan Medical Clinic! My name is Olivia.”

Kiku failed to speak with much confidence. “Uh, I was calling for an appointment…?”

“Are you a first time patient?”

“Yes.”

“Ohh! What kind of appointment do you need?”

He could hear computer clicking in the background of the call. “A general check up. About my heats, really.”

She took a bit of time to respond. “Okay, is something wrong with them?”

No, _almost_ everything was right by Kiku’s point of view. “Nothing much. Just haven’t had a proper one in a while.”

She made a small gasp. “That sounds serious. I need a name, contact info, and address.”

Kiku gave her everything she requested. Well, excluding a number. She accepted his response, and Kiku listened to the sound of her typing.

“I was hoping to see Dr.Jansen?” Kiku tried talking louder.

She seemed thrilled at the question. “Ah! Excellent choice! He’s an excellent doctor as I’m sure you’ve heard since you’re requesting him.”

He was glad she couldn’t see his face reddening at having been found out so easily. “Yes…”

“I’ll see if my brother has any openings.”

Brother? That was an interesting piece of information. He didn’t prod her about it, instead, waited for her response about her brother's availability.

“You’re in luck, Mr.Honda.” She stated cheerfully. “There’s an opening this Wednesday at two forty-five in the afternoon.”

_Two days from now?_

“He’s normally not available like this.” Olivia added.

“Hm, that’s great for me, I guess.” Kiku quickly recovered from how awkward that sounded coming from him. “So, that’s the day?”

“Yup! We need you to arrive about fifteen minutes after two so that you can fill out paperwork, okay?"

He didn’t know what day he would prefer, but Kiku wanted this over with as soon as possible. Yet, he had barely any time to prepare for an alpha placing his hands on him. He better not be given a reason to regret this.

“Yes, it’s perfect. Is that all?”

“Mhm! I’ve put it into my computer. All you have to do is show up. If you have any medications and, or medical records from past doctors, please bring those.”

The phone call was nearing its end, meaning Kiku could spend the rest of his time with his own personal work. He wasn’t looking forward to that as much as he was earlier. “Alright. Thank you."

“No problem! Have a nice day and looking forward to your visit.” She hung up first.

Kiku looked down at a folder on his desk. He had shoved the papers he received from Francis in it. Realizing he’d rather not think about that for the time being, Kiku pushed it aside and grasped the appropriate items needed. There was an urge telling him to keep drawing, but he didn’t have time for that. _Work. Yes, work…_

_________________________________________________________________________

The trip back to the apartment complex was met with no interruptions. He was able to smoothly walk off the bus without even a drop of rain to stop him. Kiku made it straight to his room, wanting time to rest and think about nothing at all. He flopped into his chair after dropping his belongings at the door.

_Wait. The umbrella._

With a heavy sigh, Kiku pulled himself out of the chair and back over to the door. He needed to return this right away. It’d be rude to continue keeping it when he didn’t need it. Then, he could come back upstairs to tend to himself. He should have known something would come up during his transition from work to living space. Even if it was something small. All he had to do was drop the item off, and that alone was slightly annoying to him.

Kiku made it downstairs to the lobby, rushing as fast as his tired self would allow him to. The room was just as empty as it had been when he first arrived. Not even Anna was in sight. Just as he placed the umbrella back in the basket, ready to lay in his tub forever, he passed by the stairs to overhear something.

“No, I haven’t seen Ivan in years.”

It was Anna.

“I know that, Natalya."

She was talking to her sister.

“Neither of us can get in contact with him, and there’s nothing we can do about that.” She paused. “I don’t really think I’d like to see him again…”

Anna's voice was growing closer. "Brother or not, he's done some pretty horrible things before he disappeared. From me anyway."

She paused again. "You were very attached to him regardless. However, there are some other things I've been considering since I last spoke to him."

Anna yelped. "Sorry about that! I almost fell down the steps."

She had reached the last step, giving Kiku the cue to bolt out of there before he was _really_ caught. Given what she was saying, it sounded like a pretty personal conversation. He pretended to have not seen Anna's face upon seeing him dash into the elevator.

Right before the doors closed, Kiku locked eyes with a familiar furry face watching through the window’s open curtains. His little visitor hadn’t been showing up so frequently, but today must have been different for the cat. On his way back up, Kiku considered buying cat food on his next grocery trip which was coming up soon. Whatever it was about him that kept the cat coming around at all, Kiku was glad that a creature he could describe as gentle and trustworthy liked him. Even if it was a cat.


End file.
